Faced with a paralyzing fear, her body unconsciously froze. And soon, Lisa broke out into faint shudders. His mocking glare was a haunting, familiar sight for her – enough to crumble her defenses and render her mind blank.
Seeing their mistress shell-shocked, at a loss of what to do, something impatient and fuming surged inside Dokyeom for the man below them. Simply put, he wasn’t able to stand it anymore and came up to support her.
“Stop crossing the line! Why the hell are you blaming her when you’re the one who lost your own identification card? How can we trust thirty armed men to come in and not cause any problems?! Are you daft?!”
Yet his outburst was only taken with a pinch of salt, “Pff!” Rob glanced around his men in jest, “So you’re locking the gates because Anatol’s security isn’t strong enough to deal with thirty men? I guess this place is full of cowards without their lord!” he then spat viciously.
“What did you say?!”
All this time, the knight, Ovaron had been trying to contain his temper behind the flanks when he heard this ridicule. He immediately moved forward, his blades almost singing for bloodlust in their sheath after the brazen words from the incorrigible man.
“Dokyeom! Open the gates immediately!” He gestured for the wizard in anger, his words magnifying the extent of his fury, “I’m going to bloody slit these arrogant bastards’ throats myself!”
“Sir Ovaron!”
Despite their difference in rank and age, Ruth fiercely glared at the older knight, who had already had his sword out, as a signal for him to be careful of his brash actions. Seeing the other party halt with some grievances, he then quickly whipped his head around and raised his hand high up in the air.
However, before he was able to do anything, a flame, along with a powerful growl, flew towards him without preamble. The scorching flames licked the walls without mercy, causing the stones to tremble violently at the heavy impact. And a scream tore out from Lisa as the world swayed before her eyes, and her hands frantically clung for life on to the battlement. At this open display of aggression, the guards stood back in confusion.
“Let’s see you try!”
Rob Midahas instantly let out a resonating roar as he took out his sword. This was enough to plummet the situation into chaos. Lisa was only able to crumble down to her knees, astonished at the turn of events.
Meanwhile, Dokyeom quickly snapped out from his shock seeing the bedlam unfurl before him. He swiftly made his way towards the defenseless Lisa and grabbed her up by the arm.
Lisa numbly followed after him as they ran down from the confines of the wall to safer grounds… the terror freezing her nerves being the only thing stopping her from screaming.
From the earlier rancorous attack of the flames, the tall gates had been shattered to cinders and the knights openly marched in with sounds of guttural victory.
“Shield!” Dokyeom yelled with his hand up. And upon his order, it was as if nature bent to his will as a bluish barrier of wind appeared, halting the knights’ advance. But this resistance was only momentary as an opposing knight swung his sword down and ripped the wind barrier apart with ease.
Dokyeom looked back in alarm. “He’s a high-ranked knight. Sir Ovaron!” he yelled to the older knight.
“Leave it to me!”
Despite a towering display of a wall, Sir Ovaron scaled down the stone walls, landing with an audible sound on the earth. On his descent, he cried and swung his heavy sword towards the battlefield. At the deafening noise of two blades clashing together with immense power, the wind ripped and split into half. Lisa tried to quickly flee the incoming man, but she felt so terrorized by fear that she tripped on a rock and fell to the ground.
“Madam!”
Dokyeom, whose hands were tied with making barriers and unable to support her, could only look back and yell. Only a few steps from Lisa, was Sir Ovaron and the intruder in the middle of a ferocious battle.
The wizard and the guards were occupied with blocking the intrusion of the black-clothed knights while simultaneously protecting the civilians. The curious onlookers who had only come to see what was going on, all screamed and ran away at the unexpected battle that came before them.
Unable to muster any strength in her legs, Lisa barely stood up with the help from a nearby guard.
Dokyeom then yelled, “Madam! Please take refuge and go to a safe place!”
“Bu-but–” She started. Despite her dread, she knew she had to do something, anything! She was the mistress of this home – a home now being ruthlessly invaded by strangers!
Dokyeom seemed to see the determination in her eyes, but he could only root her back to reality, “Go, right now! You’re no help even if you stay…” his words suddenly faded at the end.
The wizard’s eyes then shifted back towards the battlefield; his vigor seemed to fuel more energy into his spells.
Lisa trembled all over, feeling out her wits. But then she felt a weird, tingling sensation – a gut feeling – beckoning her to glance into the blue skies.
It was right then, a guard shot an arrow into the sky and yelled,
“Re-remdragon Knights! They’re here! The Lord, the Lord has returned!”
The soldier manning the tower cried out in deference, palpable relief on his features at the arrival of these men capable of turning the battlefield around. And it was as if their entrance signified an ominous presence, as it all suddenly became eerily silent. The sounds of fighting and earsplitting clangs of swords halted, as if it was never there at all.
The protectors of Anatol all raised their heads, expectant and joyous, like a sunflower towards the bright sun as the intruders looked back in alarm and shock.
There, from up the green hills, only the sound of the hooves against earth rumbled against their ears as silver-armored knights stormed towards the castle. And when the face leading the knights came into closer view, all tension in Lisa’s body bundling her nerves tight immediately disappeared.
He was back. Yet this return was far from their first meeting; it marked a different feeling inside her…
It seemed like months when it had been only short of three weeks that Lisa had last seen his figure, now dashing down from the slopes as if he was able to overcome any challenge. And she rightly believes it so. While she was observing him close the distance between the gates and his horse, she felt something stir inside her heart.
One that of his presence giving her safety, and the second that of shame at having failed to protect their estate.
“… I guess some guests came over while we were gone.”
Jungkook looked over the black-clothed knights from his majestic steed as he arrived near the battle that had ceased. The wind blew at his hair, wisps of dark locks dancing around his eyes that had thinned like a beast… and an inflamed one, about to devour those who stand in his way.
As an uncomfortable silence commenced, he suddenly drawled out, “What are guests that aren’t invited called again?” he then held up his hand, and the Remdragon Knights behind him slowly surrounded the enemies in a circle.
One said, “Gatecrashers, leader.”
“More like burglars,” another spat.
The knights steadily gathered around the dumbfounded intruders while exchanging words, only then did they stop their horses from stepping forward when they had taken their place.
Lisa silently watched the confrontation from where she was. It was only a few moments ago that these same trespassers were going at them at a frenzy, at the height of their confidence. Now, as if they were overwhelmed by a pressuring sense of oppression from the newly-arrived Remdragon knights, they didn’t even move an inch.
“You dare come into my lands and make a mess… then allow me to write, ‘Praise to the ignorant and the valiant who didn’t treasure their lives’ on your tombstones for you.”
His words were only softly spoken, yet the wind that brought them to its intended recipients blew chills down their spine. The sound of a sword being slowly drawn, as if he was taking his time, from its sheath, suddenly made the trespassers’ face turn pale. The man who had announced himself as ‘Rob Midahas’ then hurriedly laid down his sword in an effort to diffuse the confrontation and yelled.
“I, I am Lord Rob Midahas, the ruler of Kai’Sa in Libadon!”
“…Lord?” Jungkook stopped and cockked one of his dark eyebrows up.
Seeing Jungkook’s reaction, Rob was able to regain some of his confidence back and lifted his chin up, defiantly stating, “These men,” he started to gesture to Dokyeom and the knights, “have committed disrespect by questioning my identity and refusing admittance! A small fight happened during the process. That’s all there is to it!”
“A small fight you say….”
Jungkook’s answer came in a gloomy slur as his gaze unhurriedly passed over the injured guards on the ground to the gates that had once stood protecting his estate now on the ground in ruins. Rob’s face became noticeably hard.
“I-I’ll apologize for not controlling my anger and my overreaction. So… let’s, let’s let this one go. Yo-you wouldn’t want to… make the situation worse, as well. Therefore–”
“I guess this means war.”
His calm voice coldly swept across them. Jungkook smiled, barring his teeth like a ferocious wolf as he slowly stirred his steed towards Rob Midahas. The knights steadily moved aside to open the way for their leader and even though he was entering the enemies’ domain, there was not a hint of hesitation nor wariness on Jungkook’s face.
He continued his words ever so leisurely and serenely that it seemed monotonous to their ears.
“You brought soldiers and attacked the castle gate… this is an obvious declaration of war. In return – and after I cut your throat – I’ll run to your land, break down the city walls and turn everything I see into shambles.”
Rob Midahas felt his heart in his throat. “Are, are you insinuating you’re going to break the peace agreement between the seven countries!? If-if you do that, the king of Libadon won’t grant you forgiveness!”
“As soon as you broke the gates of my castle, you were no longer protected by the agreement.”
At the casual declaration of revenge, even Lisa felt goosebumps erupt on her body and she unconsciously gripped the guards’ forearm tighter.
Jungkook’s face was strangely calm. Yet the serenity before her felt eerie, like the quiet before a brewing storm.