Land of War, Dragon Heart Series Book 10

“M y Queen!” Elaine turned and nodded at General Moon Lian. A long, thick lock of copper hair covered the General’s left eye and the scars of past wars. If one looked closely, the leather strap and rivets of her eyepatch could be seen peeking out slightly from underneath the lock of hair. The injury that Lian had received during the battle against the Black Gates sect had some magical properties to it, and even after Lian had become a true cultivator, it still hadn’t healed. “Stand up, dear Lian,” Elaine said kindly. Her heavy, Spirit level armor clanked, and the hem of her silver coat bearing the emblem of the Moon army slid upwards and off the floor as the General stood at attention. They were alone in the hall. Its stone walls were covered with tapestries woven from precious threads. The scenes of battle from the past that were depicted on them occupied Elaine’s thoughts when she wasn’t busy with her duties. “My Queen,” Lian repeated. She held her fist against her heart, bowed her head low, and then snapped back to attention. Elaine sighed and went out onto the balcony. A beautiful garden stood at the foot of the tower. In the center of it, near the lake, were several hills. They were covered in lush grass and dotted with flowers. Birds nested in the soft grass on the slopes of the hills. Occasionally, when the wind blew, the moss-covered stones of the old tower peeked out from between the green blades of grass. On the other side of the lake, where the meadow ended, there were several tombstones. All of them bore the surname ‘Duran’, except for a single tombstone, which was made of black granite and had no inscription at all. “So many years have passed, Lian,” Elaine sighed. Subconsciously, she touched the hilt of the flame-wreathed, Imperial level blade that she had received so long ago in the ancient cave from the Tree of Life. “How long are you going to hold on to this grudge of yours?” Lian grabbed her wide, studded belt tightly with both hands and gritted her teeth as she turned toward one of the tapestries. It depicted the battle against the nomad tribes. The sky and the earth were covered in flames, terrifying creatures filled the sky, giants were throwing their horses around like toys, and all the while, roaring cannons and hissing cannonballs did their grisly work. Lian still remembered that battle as if it had happened yesterday, not nearly fifteen years ago. Moon Leen, the first General of the Moon army and one of her predecessors, was depicted on the tapestry, fighting in the center of the battlefield. In the corner, two small figures, a black-haired and white-haired swordsman, were flying on an unknown creature. If she hadn’t known where to look, she would’ve missed them. “On this day, fifteen years ago, the Moon army defended our homeland, my Queen,” Lian nodded. “The whole country is celebrating this monumental occasion. You should go out and mingle with the people.” Elaine stared at the black headstone. Her gaze seemed distant as the memories flashed before her blue eyes. The gentle breeze made her golden hair flutter, and it shone in the sunlight. Over a decade had passed since the Moon army had captured the Royal Palace. As time inevitably marched onward, everyone had grown older, and some of them had even become wiser, but the Queen didn’t appear to have changed in the slightest. She was still the most beautiful woman in all the Northern Kingdoms. All these years, Kings, Princes, and Dukes had been courting her. However, none of them had been able to find a way to win her fiery heart. Elaine touched the hilt of her sword. None of them had been able to stop her blade… “Lian, you-” Elaine turned around, then she abruptly stopped talking. A tall, lean man strode into the Hall of History, which only a few officials of the Kingdom were allowed to enter, after kicking the door open. He had sharp cheekbones, an aquiline nose, and piercing, unpleasant gray eyes. His emerald cloak, embroidered with the Darnassus Empire’s coat of arms, quietly rustled as he walked. As soon as he entered the hall, Lian and Elaine, who were both Heaven Soldiers, felt an incredibly heavy aura press down on them. This was the aura of the Governor from the Empire who’d been assigned to Lidus, a Spirit Knight. “You’re delaying deliveries again, Elaine!” His voice was sharp and grating on the ears. Lian, moving to intercept the Governor, nocked the heavy bow she wore over her shoulder and aimed it at him. “You are talking to the Queen, Governor!” She growled. “Show some respect!” The Governor merely glanced at Lian, but she felt as though someone invisible and incredibly strong had just punched her right in the stomach. She staggered, crouched, and spat out blood. “Know your place, you one-eyed dog,” he hissed as he walked past Lian, who was trying to catch her breath. Elaine gripped the hilt of her sword, but didn’t show any emotion. She knew that even if she got lucky enough to defeat the Governor, it wouldn’t do her any good. At best, the Empire would demand payment for the damages caused, which would do even more harm to Lidus’ already strained economy. In the worst case scenario, they would send several legions to Lidus, eradicating the Duran family, and the country would then be run by corrupt Generals. Almost all of them, with the exception of Lian and a few other loyal people, had already sold their loyalty to the Governor. “I don’t see why you’re angry, Richard,” Elaine said as calmly as she could manage. “What? You can’t see the problem?” The Spirit Knight’s voice made deep cracks appear in the floor. I’ll have to pay the builders to repair the floor again... and the treasury is already in a miserable state! “Should I take your useless eyes, then? Then you’ll be like your favorite one-eyed dog!” Elaine tried to draw her blade, but failed. The Governor was faster. In what seemed like a single step, he moved several feet toward her. His slender, strong hand closed around Elaine’s wrist. He forced the Queen’s sword back into its scabbard. “Stupid woman,” he growled. “The war with Lascan is on the horizon! The Empire needs more Solar Ore!”