The First Battle
953 Words
The castle bells rang without stopping.
Dong!
Dong!
Dong!
The sound echoed across the Lycan Kingdom, sending fear into the hearts of every citizen.
Soldiers rushed through the palace corridors.
Servants hurried children into underground shelters.
War had arrived.
Kael stood on the highest balcony of the palace, his silver eyes fixed on the northern horizon.
Black smoke curled into the sky.
Villages were burning.
The enemy was closer than anyone had expected.
A royal commander knelt behind him.
“My King, the First and Second Legions are ready.”
Kael nodded.
“Deploy them to the Northern Gate.”
“What about the Third Legion?”
“They’ll remain here to protect the palace.”
The commander hesitated.
“My King… reports say the Crimson Pack has more than twenty thousand warriors.”
Kael’s face remained calm.
“Then we’ll kill twenty thousand.”
The commander’s heart steadied.
This was the King everyone believed in.
Fearless.
Unshakable.
Selene stood at her bedroom window, watching warriors race across the courtyard.
Her stomach tightened.
Only a few days ago, she had been an ordinary servant.
Now, a war was beginning because of the blood running through her veins.
A soft knock came at the door.
Lucien entered.
He carried a polished wooden chest.
“I brought something.”
“What is it?”
He opened the lid.
Inside lay a beautiful silver sword.
Moonlight seemed to dance across its blade.
Selene stared at it.
“It’s beautiful.”
“It belonged to your mother.”
She looked up sharply.
“My mother’s?”
Lucien nodded.
“Queen Elara carried this sword in the Battle of the Crimson Plains.”
Selene gently lifted it.
The moment her fingers wrapped around the hill
The blade burst into brilliant silver light.
The room trembled.
Ancient runes appeared along the steel.
Lucien smiled.
“It recognizes you.”
Selene whispered,
“I’ve never even held a sword before.”
“You’ll learn.”
Outside the palace…
Thousands of crimson-eyed wolves gathered across the valley.
Their growls echoed through the mountains.
At their front rode the hooded king on a massive black wolf.
He raised his hand.
The entire army fell silent.
“The Blood Moon Queen is inside that palace.”
“They have hidden her long enough.”
He slowly drew a crimson sword.
“Today…”
“We take back what belongs to us.”
A deafening roar answered him.
Inside the throne room…
The royal council argued loudly.
“We should surrender the girl!”
“No!”
“If we hand her over, they’ll spare the kingdom.”
“They’ll never spare us.”
“They only want her.”
An elderly noble pointed directly at Selene.
“Everything started when she arrived!”
Selene lowered her head.
Maybe…
Maybe if she surrendered…
Thousands of lives could be saved.
She took one step forward.
“I’ll go.”
The room fell silent.
Kael turned toward her.
“No.”
She met his eyes.
“If giving myself up ends this war”
“It won’t.”
“How do you know?”
Kael walked toward her until only a few inches separated them.
“Because I know men like him.”
“If you surrender today…”
“He’ll kill you tomorrow.”
“And then he’ll destroy this kingdom anyway.”
Selene searched his face.
There was no anger.
Only certainty.
“You are under my protection.”
His voice softened.
“And I do not abandon those I protect.”
For the first time since their marriage…
Selene felt tears rise for a different reason.
Not because she was hurt.
But because someone had finally chosen not to give up on her.
A horn sounded from outside the palace.
The enemy had arrived.
Kael turned sharply.
“It’s time.”
He looked at the generals.
“Open the gates.”
Several men gasped.
“My King?”
“They outnumber us five to one!”
Kael smiled.
“Good.”
“They’ll all be in one place.”
The massive palace gates slowly opened.
The Lycan King’s army marched out in perfect formation.
Silver armor gleamed beneath the dark sky.
At their front stood Kael.
Sword in hand.
Cape flowing behind him.
Across the battlefield, the hooded king laughed.
“So…”
“The great Lycan King finally comes to greet me.”
Kael stopped several meters away.
“You’ve crossed into my kingdom.”
The hooded man removed his hood.
His scarred face was filled with hatred.
“You stole my future.”
Kael frowned.
“I don’t even know who you are.”
The stranger smiled bitterly.
“You knew my father.”
“My name…”
He raised his crimson sword toward Kael.
“…is Darius.”
“The last prince of the Crimson Bloodline.”
Kael’s eyes widened.
“I watched you die.”
“You watched the wrong man die.”
Before Kael could answer
A piercing scream echoed from the palace walls.
Everyone turned.
Selene stood on the highest balcony.
Her pendant glowed brighter than ever before.
Above her…
The full moon slowly turned crimson.
The Blood Moon had risen.
Every wolf on the battlefield froze.
One by one…
They dropped to one knee.
Even Kael’s own warriors.
Even Darius’s army.
They all bowed instinctively toward the palace.
Only Kael remained standing.
He looked up at Selene.
She wasn’t glowing because of magic alone.
Behind her appeared the faint, ethereal figure of a woman wearing a silver crown.
The spirit smiled.
Then vanished.
The oldest priest on the battlefield fell flat on his face.
His voice trembled.
“The Moon Queen…”
“…has returned.”
- Writer
