Chapter Thirty-Four ~ The Search of His Rose ~ Part Three
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⤝O⤞
Nikolai's POV
We marched in unison, the sound of our heavy metal clinking together. We trudged up the rugged frozen mountains, it's unrestrained cold nipping at any exposed flesh. The faces of the soldiers held nothing but a stoic expression, their muscles rigid at the thought of the pending battle ahead of them.
My senses were all on alert as I scoured every rock and jagged turns of the mountains. They towered over us as looming shadows, giving us no protection against the cold. I recalled past memories of young Chuvarian boys using this place as a rite of passage to prove their manhood.
Philip and I had combed these mountains before, learning the inner and outs of the paths. We did it solely for the purpose of quenching our curiosity and to possibly fight Ceasian barbarians.
I stopped my thought process when I smelled the faint scent of burning wood. As if it were trying to be masked. I raised a hand to stop my men and they immediately came to a halting pause. A stiff silence surrounded us and I perked my ears hoping to find any clue that could lead us in the correct direction.
I knew that in the next route I would meet Bastian, but there was a fork in the road that led to the actual path of the Ceasian Kingdom. I froze again when I heard the scream of a woman, and my heart dropped lower to my stomach at the idea of what could possibly be happening.
I directed my army with a two-finger movement, meaning to proceed but with caution and quietness. Thoughts of various scenarios filled my head and my blood began to boil with a sickening rage that made me want to taste blood.
I wanted to rush up there but the rational battlefield side of me knew that the element of surprise would be in our favor.
We followed the screaming sounds which had now become little mourning sobs. My horse rounded the corner immediately and I found a small climb that brought me to an open area in the shape of a huge hollowed cave. I could make out a few men sitting around a campfire. A few were hanging around the opening of the cave and I could see the flashes of brightly colored dresses.
My heart thundered at the idea that I would be reunited with Rose. I prayed for her safety and the safety of my sister and the other women. For now, I would relish in the idea of tearing through the skins of these savages.
I lifted a hand up, my mouth curling into a cruel grin at the awaiting violence that I would savor in. My hand slowly curled three of my fingers, leaving my thumb and index and the thudding steps of my army rushed past as they began to circulate the area.
The archers would surround the small camp from all sides and I looked as one of my war generals, Malin Pion, signaled back that they were ready.
I looked back at Alister Pavol, who signaled that they were ready from their end. I noticed Philip supporting his own bloodlust smile.
My hand then curled into a fist.
I charged forward with my black stallion, unsheathing my sword. I could hear the sounds of my men behind me unsheathing their own weapons and their thudding footsteps as they rushed up camp. I reached there first, my lips twitching at the first glance of pure horror and surprise that stretched their faces.
They probably didn't expect us to be there so soon or so many of us.
I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, the sound of the horses as they swayed with their owners. The Ceasians rushed quickly to gather any sort of weapon to defend themselves but my men had already drawn their swords and had most of them at knifepoint.
I glanced quickly into the caves and could see the many brown-haired maidens, but I didn't allow myself to be distracted by them. By the urge to tear through the cave and to find my brown-haired maiden.
Instead, I came to a swift stop and placed two fingers into my mouth before blowing out a high pitched whistle, alerting my archers to stand in command. They drew back their arrows and fired warning shots, capturing the attention of most of the Ceasians.
There were at most 150 of them, and I growled angrily when I realized that some had wielded weapons and were making their way to the cave. Were they going to take them hostage and try to barter them for their lives?
I'd not give them a chance. Especially if my Rose was among them.
I launched myself from Maxine, the heels of my boots hitting the rugged grounds with intensity. I stormed over to the weapon-wielding Ceasians, my sword already raised.
I struck it hard into the abdomen of the Ceasian, before pulling it out and knocking my elbow into his face. He flew to the ground, his last words were squeals of pain. I smashed my fist into another Ceasian before spinning the sword in my hand and stabbing it into his foot.
Suddenly, I felt the presence of another behind me, my skin prickling as a warning, and I immediately lashed my arm out catching the Ceasian in the neck. He immediately fell to the ground and I brought my sword back around, impaling it into his heart. I noticed for a second that Philip had joined my fighting sesh, his face littered with droplets of blood.
Faintly, I could hear the sound of a horn and I recognized it as Bastian's arrival. I made a quick note as the archers launched arrow after arrow, striking the Ceasians with precision. Slowly, I began to notice the abundance of bodies littering the ground, more Ceasians than my own men.
I breathed heavily as I struck again, my sword hitting the sword of another barbarian. I pushed against his sword as he struck from above. I pushed my arm hard against the inside of his sword arm, capturing it to my side before puncturing my sword into his abdomen, I then dropped him and looked for my next victim.
The blaring of another horn took my attention and from the corner of my vision, I could see Bastian marching in with his own battalion. They raced down the rocky mountains, swords swinging, and reached the targeted Ceasians. The majority of them were covering their faces, not revealing their identities.
I turned back to face yet another savager, and immediately grabbed him by his collar.
"Where is your leader?" I snarled angrily into his face. He struggled to escape and I pushed him away before smashing my fist into his face. Blood spurted from his nose and he groaned in pain. I grabbed his arm and turned it behind him, holding it at an angle that would break it if I were to push hard enough.
"Speak before you lose the use of your arms," I say coldly, and my anger raged to a higher altitude when he still didn't utter a word. I pushed roughly, and he yelped loudly before he began to speak.
"He's there! Over there! Besides the women!" the man squawked in pain. He gestured with his head toward the cave and I looked instantly to see a short stout man with large arms and larger eyebrows cowering with the women. His beady eyes were observing the scene and I was disgusted that he wasn't even trying to fight alongside his men.
A coward.
I let go of the Ceasian before making my way toward the leader, my boots hitting the iced gravel floor harshly. I could hear a pair of footsteps behind me and recognized one as Philip.
A cold wind swept around us but I could barely feel it as my body burned with malevolence to massacre every Ceasian I came across. I wanted to drown them in rivers of their own blood.
I trudged past the women, whose panicky screams echoed in the walls of the cave.
I couldn't allow myself to get distracted but my eyes wandered once over the mass of women, hoping to find the brown eyes of the woman I loved.
There were too many of them so my attention returned back to the leader who had crept to lean against the wall, staying slightly hidden. In my head, I came to the understanding that if this man was captured, it would quicken my agenda in having Rose back in my arms.
Nothing would stop me from reaching him.
I watched as he turned slightly, his back facing the cave for a mere short second. But that was all I needed.
He didn't notice me, even when I reached a hand out and grabbed him by his neck.
He squealed out in agony as my fist crushed his throat, and he began to choke. I pushed him against the wall, knowing the jagged black rocks would be digging into his skin.
"Surrender before I tear your damn head off your shoulders," I tell him, my hand squeezing tighter around his throat. He choked before glaring at me harshly, then he turned to look at the scene behind me.
I knew without a doubt that we had won this fight, and I could see the trickling pieces of hope fleeing from his eyes. He turned his harsh gaze back to me, his glare intensifying.
So be it.
I released him, pulling him forward for a second before unsheathing my sword and slamming the tip into his throat. He gurgled for a minute, blood streaming down his neck before he coughed it out from his mouth. His shocked gaze stared at me for a second before it turned dull and he slumped to the ground.
I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged his body to the outside of the cave. I gestured to Philip, who nodded before removing a horn from his belt. He blew into the blaring horn that announced our victory. The majority turned to look just as I dropped the Ceasian's leader to the ground.
"Your leader has fallen. Surrender or you too shall face the same judgment," I announced, my voice echoing in the frigid bleak mountains. I could see the contrite expressions on the Ceasians' faces as they looked at the body of their leader.
A few of them yelled out in anger and began to swing their swords in animosity before they were cut through by my knights. I looked around again wondering if anybody would step up to the challenge.
Slowly, one by one the Ceasian barbarians began to lower their weapons, their faces twisted into ones of defeat. I nodded my head before signaling for the archers to halt with their attacks. I turned back to my knights and gave them one order.
"Seize them."
They immediately sprang into action, grabbing at any Ceasian and binding them together. They would be brought with us as prisoners and a bargaining chip when we meet with King Zaros Diablos.
I slowly turned back to the cowering women before addressing them.
"Ladies of Chuvaria, you've been forcibly taken and pushed into these hard conditions, facing these grueling hardships. I have failed in keeping you all safe and made it a sole mission to retrieve and send you all back home safely to your awaiting families.
We have been successful in our feat against the Ceasian barbarians. I only ask for your forgiveness for our delay and we'll have you back to your families by tonight," I spoke to the women, and they slowly began to sit up from their cowering states.
Cries of relief broke out and I smiled slightly when they began to thank me profusely. I gestured for my knights to come over and to assist the women, to see if any required medical assistance and to assign them each a group that would return them to their rightful homes.
I watched as Bastian made his way up the cave after seeing through that every Ceasian was tied up and roped.
Once the knights came over, my adrenaline peaked at the thought of finally having my Rose in my arms again. My eyes raved over the many women and my eyes immediately caught the sight of my sister Naida. She was slowly trying to get up from her knees but her body was trembling like a leaf in the cold air.
I slowly pushed past the women, as I made my way toward her. I could feel Bastian at my heels, and before he had time to react, I pulled her trembling body to my chest.
She pushed away from my body and looked up at me, and I could feel a red haze cover my sight.
My fists clenched angrily at the sight of her bloodied nose and I wanted to find that scoundrel so that I could rip him up into pieces. If I hadn't already. I held her back to me, my heart beating in relief that she was still alive and not seriously injured.
I noticed her tied hands behind her back and immediately began to untie her. Her wrists were rubbed raw and I could see the dark marks that were left behind on her pale skin.
It reawakened my anger all over again.
Before I could ask who did this to her, she spoke words that chilled the insides of my heart.
"They took her," she whispered, and I didn't have to guess who she was talking about.
"You should have seen her. She was so brave...I-I I tried to stop her but she was determined to see King Diablos about releasing us," Naida whispered, moving her head back from my chest to look up at me. Her brown eyes began to tear up. Her tears mixed with the dried blood, making it a deep red.
I couldn't process the words that Naida was telling. I was supposed to find my Rose here, waiting for me. I was supposed to find her here.
She was supposed to be here.
But she wasn't. She was in the Kingdom of Ceasian, with God knows what's happening to her. I shut my eyes tightly, my hands running through my curls in an act of distress. I could only pray that she was safe in Ceasian. That her father wasn't the supposed monster we all assumed he was.
I turned to look at Bastian, who seemed to be restraining himself back from holding Naida. I was about to release her before Naida spoke again.
"She succeeded. The knights came a minute earlier before you came to ask for our release or else the Ceasian Hounds would face serious punishment from the Ceasian Kingdom."
She succeeded?
She succeeded.
She managed to convince her father to release the women?
Rose was indeed the most wondrous lady I had ever met. A sense of pride filled me at her achievement before it was riddled with dread.
But at what cost?
Did her father bribe her? Force her into a choice she didn't want or else leave the women to fend off on their own? I knew instantly what choice she would have gladly made. Rose was, after all, a selfless lady.
I released my sister just as Bastian grabbed her into his arms. He placed his head over hers, her face pressed against his chest. He crushed his arm against her back, holding her close.
I felt a small twinge of annoyance before suppressing it. I had no time to be irritated. I only had one goal in mind.
I had to find Rose.
"I'm glad you're safe, Naida. Let the doctor have a look at your face when you reach the castle," I told her before I turned around to march out of the cave. There was no one else in here that carried a piece of my heart.
"Nikolai," I heard Naida call out. I turned around to face her, my eyes glancing over the misshapen dress, her tangled hair, and her bruised face. Bastian still held her close to his chest, refusing to let her go.
"She told me to tell you that she was sorry, that she loved you... that you would be the only man she'd ever love," Naida told me, and my throat tightened.
I could feel my heartbeat quickening, and my mouth let out a shuddering breath before I nodded. A sense of warmness filled me, reminding me all over again why I fell in love with her in the first place.
I turned back and marched to the front of the cave, quickly formulating a plan in my head.
I already had a set of men to take the women back to the village, and we had already gathered up the Ceasians. I watched as my War Generals lined them up and prepared them for the journey ahead.
The remaining men had lined back into their stations, attending to their wounded and dead. I would have to speak with the Generals of any losses, but so far we hadn't been hit significantly hard. We would be able to start moving in half a day.
That felt way too long.
We would have to rest for the night and pick up where we left off in the morning. Until then, I could only busy myself with miscellaneous tasks so I wouldn't think about my woman and any suffering that has befallen her.
I removed the saturated pink handkerchief from my pocket and pressed the only remaining link I had to Rose to my lips. Her scent had long been erased but the memories managed to appease my heart for a moment.
Soon, my love, soon.
⤝O⤞
Lezz go.
Finally, I can see the finishing line.