Where Ashes and Oaths Collide

Chapter 62: Conquest

The fighting continued for several hours before Cidade dos escravos was official concurred. Hours of brutal combat later, the sounds of battle gradually faded into the distant echoes of corrompido shouts and the crackle of flames consuming surrounding houses. Luz stood amidst the c*****e, his black armour splattered with blood and grime, his breathing heavy beneath the plates. His amber gaze swept across the courtyard, searching for familiar faces among the scattered bodies and wounded soldiers. “Leo! Sol! Report status!” he called out, his voice carrying authority despite the exhaustion evident in his tone. Leo emerged wiping blood from his dagger with a satisfied grin. “Commander, the western gate is ours. Darm reports that the rest of the city has pretty much fallen. Supervivente is safe– he collapsed after that gate-busting trick, but he is breathing. Lua’s baby sitting him on the battlement with Sol.”

The air beside Luz shimmered with dark energy, and in an instant, Lady Escuridade materialized as if she had always been there. “Well done, Commander,” she said, her voice carrying the same authority that had once belonged to kings. “Your efficiency is… impressive. Mestre Escuro is pleased with the swift victory.” Her sharp purple eyes flicked toward Amelia standing near Luz’s armoured form. A flicker of something unreadable crossed her features before she masked it with professional detachment. “You did well in the cathedral,” Lady Escuridade said to Amelia. Luz’s amber eyes narrowed dangerously at her casual remark about the cathedral, and he stepped between her and Amelia protectively.

“She was never supposed to be there,” Luz bit out, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. “You sent a civilian into a war zone without my authorization. That was a reckless gamble.” His armoured hand tightened around the hilt of his black sword, the weapon’s crimson sigils glowing with barely contained fury. The air around him grew colder, the very stone of the courtyard seeming to respond to his anger. “Her safety is my responsibility,” Luz continued, his tone hardening into something Lady Escuridade had never heard from him before. “You put her in harm’s way for what purpose? To prove some point about trust?”

“I gave her a choice,” Lady Escuridade said. She wanted to help you.” Her purple eyes met Luz’s amber glare without flinching, her expression remaining composed despite the tension cracking between them. “She chose to fight alongside you, Commander. Her loyalty was tested and proven in that cathedral. Can you fault her for that?” Lady Escuridade gaze shifted briefly to Amelia, a flicker of genuine curiosity in her expression. “She carries that dagger you gave here. It seems your past has a way of catching up to you.” Salvaxe approached from the direction of the main keep. “My lady, the upper levels are secure. We have captured several high-ranking officers– including their commander.”

Luz’s jaw tightened at the mention of prisoners. Lady Escuridade nodded and turned back to Luz. “Mestre Escuro wants to see you at the cathedral.” She said to Luz, before turning to follow Salvaxe. Luz’s armoured form went rigid at the mention of the cathedral, his amber gaze flickering with something unreadable. Salvaxe and Lady Escuridade disappeared through an archway. Luz turned his full attention back to Amelia. “You should not have come down here,” he says with a deep voice. Amelia cupped his face. “If I had not, Supervivente would not have been here to destroy the gate, the army would never have made it in and you might have died in here,” she said softly.

Luz’s armoured hand froze mid-air, his amber eyes locking onto Amelia’s face as her hands cupper his cheeks. Her words struck him harder than any blade ever could. “You have no idea what you are saying,” he said, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. The protective mask he wore for the world cracked just enough to reveal the man underneath. “If you had died trying to protect me… I would not have survived that.” His gauntleted hand came upp to cover one of hers, the black metal a stark contrast to her warm skin. The hidden white ribbon on his wrist caught the torchlight as he moved. “Supervivente’s magic was the only reason we won this battle,” he admitted through gritted teeth.

“What is done is done,” Amelia said simple. “You should go to the cathedral to meet Meste Escuro.” Luz’s amber eyes searched her face as he processed her simple acceptance. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly, though the demonic corruption along his jawline continued to pulse with controlled intensity. “You are too calm about this,” he said, his voice losing some of its military command and taking on a more personal tone. “Most people would be screaming at me right now for putting you in danger.” His armoured hand moved from her cheek to rest against the wall beside her head, caging her in without actually touching her. The black steel of his gauntlet contrasted sharply with the weathered stone.

“I can’t keep you safe if you keep running into battle alongside me,” Lzu continued, his crimson gaze fixed on Amelia. “We can keep each other safe,” she argued back. “You told me you are not the same knight who promised to come back to me. Why can’t you accept that I am not the same innocent, vulnerable girl you left behind?” His amber eyes softened for a moment. His armoured hand remained against the wall, but his grip on the sword relaced slightly. “You are right,” he admitted, his voice losing its commanding edge and becoming more personal. “You have changed. I see that. But the danger has not changed.” He lowered his head, his silver hair falling forward to hide the emotion flickering in his amber gaze.

“When I saw you running out of that cathedral… when you wanted to fight with us… part of me hoped you would get hurt so I would have an excuse to keep you away from me,” Luz confessed quietly. “I did not get hurt,” Amelia defended confidently. “And I already told you I am not leaving you.”