Not All Heroes Are Guiltless

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Aela’s POV

Scouts state that most of the Hou Ndours are guarding their makeshift port. They are packing everything they can into their ships. They must be already starting to retreat. Everyone quips about our size compared to the Hou Ndours. The rebels are so lighthearted.

I still think they are being too confident, and yet. Hou Ndours are known for drawing their enemies in with a feint. Ethan wanted me to lead the large force down the main road, which connects the gate and the port. It’s the most likely to hit resistance, and he fears they may have mages ready to unleash an onslaught on our main force.

Ethan and the other rebels would make their way to the outposts still standing around the capital. We will meet at the port and work from there to help the civilians working as slaves loading and unloading ships. Most are Redland citizens who didn’t manage to run away from the capital when it was seized.

The men around me are congratulating each other, and I keep reminding them we are going deeper into enemy territory. Some turn their noses up at me because I’m cloaked, but they agreed to follow my orders. We march down the road slowly and have no resistance. I’m able to find some Redland citizens hiding in beaten down homes who are glad and yet nervous, and I yearn to calm them.

We finally reached the defense line they had set up for the port. They have a decent spiked barricade blocking our path. Peering through the holes in the barricade, I spy more of our civilians sitting in large containment yards with high fences with spiked posts and thorn vines wrapped on any potential foothold to hinder any scaling. Everyone is scared. I tell everyone to stay behind, and after my diversion, they will need to break down the barricade to get everyone through.

I walk up to the barricade, and there is no one even guarding the barricade. I climb up and jump without anyone even shooting an arrow to scare me away. Jumping down on the other side, I move closer to the fence and now understand the advantage of the fence. I force push on the barricade would crush the people behind the fence. All the Hou Ndours are behind the wall. Good thing I ordered my men to break apart the barricade, not ram through it.

I let my wolf try to sense the movement behind the wall, and I guess I have caused them to doubt themselves. I step closer and see the civilians being used as a shield look at me nervously. I hold my hands out in front of me and walk slowly, much like I would to a wild beast. I’m trying not to show any hostility. I can hear mumbles and grumbles from probably the officers. I guess they were expecting us to just attack and not hesitate, and they don’t have the numbers to scare us off.

As I get closer, a door swings open. I try to keep from smirking and move cautiously towards the door. I can hear my men grumbling, but no one disobeying my orders. When I reach the door, a man yells out from behind. “Drop your weapons, and we won’t hurt you.”

I guess I couldn’t ask them to be dense about this. I pulled my sword out and lay it down next to me. I try to place it close to where the nearest civilian slave would be able to reach it when the fighting starts. I also drop two daggers to show them I want to be honest. I can tell they have a ward mage on their side, which would be difficult to perform basic spells. He’s probably able to neutralize most of my elemental attacks. I’ll have to hold myself from cringing when I walk through his spell. He’s not able to stop me from utilizing the reservoir I’ve received from Redland’s gods.

I walk through the door to a clearing with nearly forty guards all having spears and arrows pointed at me. I standstill and can hear the fence gate swing shut with a slam, but no one seems to move around me. None of them are watching or hearing what is happening beyond the wall. The officer stands in front of me with his sword unsheathed. He goes to stroke my hood with the tip of his blade, but I bring my hand up to stop him. “Aren’t you a fool? Come to negotiate a bargain?”

I stand regally remember how my aunt would act and speak, “Yes, my people have suffered by your hand for too long. I wish for their release and willing to do it without the potential of harming the weak anymore.”

The officer chuckles, “What leverage do you have? One up tight p***y isn’t really an interest for all the civilians. Maybe two of the most worthless slaves we have.”

I nod my head and hide the insult of being called a w***e for what they think I will offer, “No, I offer a long life away from these shores. Preferably in your home with your own families.”

Everyone laughed like it was a pretense, but I was completely serious. The officer stops the chuckle, “We aren’t like your people. We don’t turncoat on our own.”

“Then fine. Keep your short life on this shore.” I growl lowly allowing my wolf to reverberate through every piece of wood. The men shiver and the officer rushes me with his sword in a quick s***h. I dodge and let the blade momentum stab into the dirt. I high kick the officer and pull my claws out and rip into his chest cavity. He drops to the ground with blood pooling at my feet. His men are paralyzed with fear.

“You better run your retreat. I will strike everyone down if they hurt my people.” I growl loudly and that gets them moving. Most are running away, and a few try to fight me. I managed to commandeer a sword from one of my assailants and move them farther from the wall and keep them from monitoring the fence. A good portion ran screaming through the streets.

I can hear the clinking of the slave chains and can only hope I’ve distracted the guards long enough to get my men close enough to free them. I go to chase a few who seem reluctant to leave their dead officer. I’ve managed to get to the next square when I can hear ‘For Redland’ being chanted back at the fence. I smirk grateful to hear the excitement of the men and the civilians.

I bring my focus to the retreating Hou Ndours when a large roar rips through the air. The stones rattle and even the walls start to crumble. I prepare for the worst because I’ve never heard anything so loud before. Even the cat I ran into in the savannah has nothing compared to this howl. Wait, I am wrong. I heard one roar which made even my mate wince.

Breaking through an entry in a barrack is a beast of a man. He’s a giant in his own right with how he towers over the other Hou Ndours. I am quickly drawn to his necklace and arms are covered in feathers. My belly churns when I recognize the beast in front of me: Tian.

Even though my cloak is on the bear starts to snicker when he detects me. “Little wolf? All alone this time? You probably shouldn’t part from your protector.”

I summon my spirit swords and prepare for his charge. I don’t believe I have the talent to kill him but maybe I can keep his focus on me until he has no choice but to retreat. Ethan and the other leaders will keep pushing and I will divert this asshole’s attention.

“Mmm, spirit swords? Does that mean you are the exiled princess? Little baby wolf” Tian snarls lowly with a wide smile. “A dark wolf and let me guess a white wolf? No wonder he was protecting you. I thought he had roots in Redland but he never confirmed it. My master will be excited to know his weakness is so close at hand.”

“You were a friend of his once before. Don’t tell me you would betray him and your mother.” I yelled out in jest. I have to make sure he keeps talking because then he won’t be attacking me and Ethan and the other leaders can clear the Hou Ndours away from him. “You know she is waiting for you to go home.”

He screams loudly in a high pitch scream almost like he’s frustrated then with a quick jolt his eyes return to me with a harrowing and frightening smile not natural and more monstrous, “Don’t you dare bring my mother into this. She has nothing to do with any of this."

His eyes turn even redder as he speaks. I smirk because I’m sure I can manipulate him more in a rage state. “Why? Because she likes the dark one better than you?”

The jealousy was just the ticket I needed. He has not perception except on me and I can bring him farther away into a more barren location. He comes at me in a full charge of a heavy weighted battering ram. I dodge away from him and he tries to slow down and he hits a wall with so much force what was left crumbles on top of him. He shakes vigorously and lets the dust fly around him.

I can’t see through the haze of dust and debris very clearly. I strain to watch my opponent but he’s faster than I could observe and he is able to get behind me and lifts me by my neck. I struggle to pull his hand from choking me. I can barely breathe but then I realize its because he’s sucking the oxygen out around us. Pressure builds around me and I know he’s preparing to cast a devastating spell but through the cloud and suffocation I can’t see its pattern.

“Little wolf, last time we met, you burned me pretty good. Had to kill all my fodder to get fully healed. I think I’m going to use you to repay the favor.” He rumbles softly “I think maybe I should play with you a bit before I feast on you.”

I cough to be able to speak, “You disappoint your mother Tian.”

His hand gets stronger on my neck but doesn’t crush my windpipe. He removes the cloak from me and strokes my hair. “I’d worry more about your own self. I think I would enjoy you before I hand you over to my master.”

My mate said Tian was corrupted. The altar he with my mate was found with honorable reasons but something dark had influenced him through it. This isn’t Tian at all this is much like the presence which lies within my mate. But no living tendrils. Corruption? Manipulation. The thralls of Neith’s Descendants web. They are all tangles this isn’t the demon this is his touch.

I keep struggling even though its only make the bruises get larger the longer he holds me. His focus is all on me and I can almost feel something deep within him trying to hold back. Tian is still there but he’s just a puppet for the demon.

An arrow pierces through his hand and he drops me to the ground. I hack and croak with my head down to the ground gasping for air. Tian roars out loud rattling the ruins around us and bringing up more clouds of dust. I shift into my wolf to quickly heal from his hold on me and then jump and growl in front of Tian.

He shifts into his bear form which is nearly three times larger than I. He rises up on his two feet and tries to swipe at me. I dodged quickly and retreated farther from where the arrow had been shot. I have to get his back towards whoever came to save me.

He charges me in a run and I barely have a chance to get out of his way and he swipes a good stretch down my side. He howls in delight while I whimper. Three arrows in succession go into his hide.

He turns towards the attack without a fear of being hit again. I rush him and use my teeth to pull a large chunk off his thigh. He yowls in surprise and his eyes are burning with fury. Shadows build up around him and I keep my head up high. He roars loudly while more arrows and crossbolt strike him. I howl over his roars to counter whatever he planned to do with the shadows. My wolf encourages me as light erupts from her blinding everyone around me. I howl with all my might again and the bear visibly shudders away from me. He snaps back and then he roars again bringing the rest of the buildings around him crumbling down on top of us. He disappears in the dust.

I scan the wreckage and can’t find him anywhere. I shift back into human form and yet again I’m grateful for my mates gift. I might be naked under the cloak but at least I’m well covered.

After the dust settles, Ethan comes running up to me. “Silence, are you alright?”

I nod while still catching my breath. Several other men follow Ethan around me and they gasp. “White wolf? Princess AmAela?”