Chapter One: The first battle
1245 Words
When death comes near and darkness calls,
Stand as one, and never fall.
Through blood and fire, through endless night,
We rise together, we choose to fight."
The morning sun shone over the large grassland.
A cold wind moved through the grass, carrying the smell of ash and death.
There were no birds singing.
No small animals moved through the grass.
Even the sound of farm animals was gone.
The world had changed after the Fall.
Many animals had disappeared, while others had turned into dangerous monsters.
That was why the silence worried the soldiers standing at the edge of the grassland.
Hundreds of warriors stood in front of the huge gates of Arkenfall Citadel.
They were the Crimson Guard, the soldiers of House Veyne, one of the twelve great families in the Citadel.
They wore dark armor with red marks across their chests.
Most of them had red eyes. Their bodies were strong because they had awakened special abilities.
They sat on large creatures called Grimsteeds.
The creatures looked like horses, but they were much bigger. Their bodies were covered with pale skin, and thick veins could be seen under it. Their four legs were strong enough to crush a person with one step.
Behind the soldiers stood the huge gates of Arkenfall.
The walls were so high that it was hard to see the top. They stretched far into the distance and protected the people inside from the monsters outside.
The soldiers were not too worried.
Some were talking.
Others were laughing.
They had fought monsters many times before.
But soon, whispers began to move through the army.
"Isn't that boy only fourteen?"
"Why is he here?"
"I heard he never awakened."
"Really?"
"Yes. He failed the Awakening Rite."
"Then what is he supposed to do against those monsters?"
"Maybe Commander Rourke wants him dead."
Some soldiers laughed quietly.
Others looked at the young boy standing near the front.
His name was Darius Veyne.
He was fourteen years old and belonged to the main family of House Veyne.
Darius had dark hair tied behind his head. He wore light armor and held the reins of his Grimsteed.
He heard every word the soldiers said.
But he didn't respond.
His eyes remained on the land ahead.
Inside his mind, he repeated the words he had learned as a child.
Stand as one, and never fall.
His parents had taught him those words.
They had also taught him that a member of House Veyne should never run from danger.
Darius took a slow breath.
Then he looked toward the horizon.
A large black cloud was forming in the distance.
It was not a normal cloud.
It was coming from a huge c***k in the ground called the Black Scar.
The Black Scar was several miles away from Arkenfall.
Dark energy was rising from it.
The Grimsteeds began to move nervously.
The soldiers stopped talking.
A large Grimsteed moved to the front.
A huge man was sitting on it.
He wore heavy red armor and carried a large sword on his back.
His name was Commander Rourke Veyne.
Rourke looked across the army.
The soldiers immediately became quiet.
"Form up," he ordered.
Everyone moved into position.
Weapons were taken out.
Shields were raised.
The soldiers prepared themselves.
Rourke looked at Darius.
The boy looked calm.
Too calm.
This was Darius's first battle outside the Citadel.
Yet he wasn't shaking.
Rourke felt sorry for him.
If only he had awakened.
Darius had the blood of House Veyne, but he had failed to awaken an ability.
In their world, that made him weak.
"Stay close to the formation," Rourke said.
Darius nodded.
"I will."
Rourke looked back at the Black Scar.
"It's starting."
The ground began to shake.
A low sound came from the distance.
Then darkness started pouring out of the Black Scar.
It spread across the ground like water.
Wherever it touched, the grass died.
Then something moved inside the darkness.
A hand came out.
Then another.
One by one, strange creatures crawled out of the Black Scar.
Some were small.
Others were huge.
Some walked on four legs.
Others walked on two.
Their bodies were black and covered with rough skin.
Their mouths were filled with sharp teeth.
Their eyes were empty.
Then they screamed.
Thousands of creatures rushed out of the Black Scar.
The soldiers became serious.
Rourke raised his sword.
"When death comes near and darkness calls..."
The soldiers joined him.
"Stand as one, and never fall!"
Rourke continued.
"Through blood and fire, through endless night..."
"We rise together, we choose to fight!"
Their voices filled the battlefield.
Rourke lowered his sword.
"CHARGE!"
The Crimson Guard rushed forward.
The ground shook under the feet of the Grimsteeds.
The monsters rushed toward them.
The two sides crashed into each other.
The battle began.
Weapons struck flesh.
Monsters screamed.
Black blood covered the ground.
The Crimson Guard fought together, cutting down the creatures one after another.
Darius charged with them.
He reached for the large hammer attached to his Grimsteed.
He pulled it free.
The hammer was almost as big as his body.
Darius raised it.
Then he swung.
BANG!
The hammer smashed into a monster's head.
The creature fell.
Another monster attacked him.
Darius moved to the side and hit it with the hammer.
Its arm broke.
Darius attacked again.
The creature fell.
He kept moving.
He was young, but he had trained for years.
His body moved quickly.
His attacks were strong.
Some soldiers began to notice him.
"That boy is strong."
"How can he fight like that without an ability?"
"I don't understand."
Darius continued fighting.
Then Rourke shouted.
"Awakened Blood!"
A red light appeared around the warriors.
Their bodies became stronger.
Their speed increased.
Their eyes became sharper.
They rushed through the monsters like a red storm.
Darius remained the same.
He had no awakened power.
But he refused to stop.
He lifted his hammer and attacked another monster.
The soldiers who saw him began to respect him.
But some still felt sorry for him.
If only he had awakened.
Darius didn't care.
He continued fighting.
Then the ground shook again.
More creatures came from the Black Scar.
But these were different.
They were much bigger.
Their bodies were stronger.
Their attacks were faster.
Rourke's face became serious.
"They're here."
The soldiers quickly formed another line.
"Get ready!"
The monsters charged.
The soldiers charged as well.
The two sides crashed together.
The impact was huge.
Several soldiers were thrown from their Grimsteeds.
Darius attacked one of the larger creatures.
He brought his hammer down.
Before he could attack again, another monster slammed into him.
Darius almost fell.
He quickly regained his balance.
Then he heard someone shout.
"LOOK OUT!"
Darius turned.
A huge monster had broken through the soldiers.
It was standing right in front of him.
The creature raised one massive arm.
Its fist came toward him.
Darius's heart began to beat faster.
Everything around him suddenly seemed slow.
He raised his hammer.
But he wasn't fast enough.
BOOM!
The monster's fist hit him.
Darius was thrown through the air.
He crashed into the ground and rolled several times.
Pain spread through his entire body.
Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
He tried to move.
Nothing happened.
His vision became blurry.
The sounds of the battle slowly disappeared.
The last thing Darius saw was the bright morning sun above him.
His eyes slowly closed.
Then everything went dark.
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