by Sara Fields
When we were finally ready, we left my chambers and joined my people. He kissed me goodbye before he went to lead the ground forces. I headed to the docks and climbed onto the head vessel, prepared to lead my people.
I strode to the helm of a longboat, dressed in dark gray battle leathers. I had chosen ones that I’d fought in before, knowing that they were easy to maneuver around in, but also decent armor against most weapons. I had a battle axe strapped to my back, a sword at my waist, along with several smaller blades should I need something for close combat. War paint bisected my face, showcasing my readiness for battle in honor of Zymos, the god of war.
To either side of the boat sat a line of warriors, each tasked with maneuvering the heavy wooden oars through the water. An older man pushed the vessel away from the docks and my rowers started directing us downstream by cutting the large paddles into the water. My boat went first, leading several hundred behind me down the river toward Ravenrath.
We slid along the waters of the Suna Kava in silence. It would take two days to reach Ravenrath, but when we did, we were going to destroy them.
The first day’s journey was uneventful. We stopped at night to make camp, careful not to make any excessive noise so that we could avoid detection. I assigned a number of men and women to watch out for scouts or anything that might give us away, but they didn’t spot anything. The riverbanks were quiet and unguarded, which was comforting at the same time that it was concerning.
The bond pulsed weakly. Aric was some distance away, but I could still feel him all the same.
I wondered how he was faring on land. He’d told me that he’d meet up with members of the Brotherhood on land, where they would provide him with a few added surprises that Valgertha had never had the opportunity to fight with before. He’d reassured me that he had an untold amount of resources at his disposal and that when he called, they would come. I believed him.
As we slid along the current that second day, I spent time reflecting on my time as Queen of Valgertha. My people still looked at me with the love and respect I’d earned even before I’d taken the crown. Taking an alpha as a mate hadn’t changed that. Thranar’s attack hadn’t dimmed that either. If anything, my people seemed to want to protect me even more fiercely than ever. I was proud to lead them into battle. I would fight by their side like a real queen was supposed to.
My longboat rocked from side to side, slowing down as we approached the last bend in the river before Ravenrath came into sight. We’d finally arrived.
I took a long swig of water from my canteen and hooked it back onto my belt. The sun was just dipping below the trees, igniting the sky in a volley of reds, oranges, and fiery yellows. It was beautiful and as it sank even lower, it darkened to a scarlet color for a few moments before blinking out entirely. It was an omen. Ravenrath would fall this day and the gods would smile upon us before the sun rose once more.
The anticipation to move was strong but we would wait until the sky was completely dark and then I would command them to engage. Tonight, the moon wouldn’t rise, and the sky would be solely lit by the dim glow of the stars.
I signaled for complete darkness for the approach.
Every single light on our boats was extinguished all at once and the black of night cloaked us as we rounded the last bend of the river. I took a deep breath as the torches overlooking the walls of Ravenrath finally came into my sights. There were a number of sentries stationed atop the ramparts, but none of them seemed particularly concerned with watching the dark waters of the river. The walls were at least fifty feet tall, high enough to see over the tops of most of the trees of the forested land surrounding us. I could also see a great stone castle rising up in the center of the city and I had no doubt that it would be guarded rather heavily too.
I signaled for my archers. They each knocked an arrow in their bows and pulled back the heavy string, holding steady as they waited for me to give the order. Before I could command for them to shoot though, a low rumble quaked beneath the city and I held up my hand for them to hold fire. Not a single archer let an arrow go loose. Our position was still unknown, and they knew how important it was to preserve that.
A small tremor rippled across the water and my eyes flicked to the walls, listening as the very ground underneath them seemed to groan in protest. I narrowed my eyes, watching as the great stone barrier began to sway from side to side. What in the name of the gods?
All at once, the ground beneath the walls exploded in a massive volley of bright red fire. Sparks flew up high into the sky, burning bright before ebbing out into nothingness. A deafening cracking sound reverberated through the air and the entire barricade shuddered and groaned. From high atop the wall, a single rock loosened and fell to the ground, shattering against another boulder far below. I chewed my lip, watching as another loosened rock tumbled to the rocky surface underneath. It didn’t take much longer for enormous sections of the walls to break free and topple over. Some even seemed to disintegrate into a plume of dust and rubble right before my eyes. More deafening blasts pierced through the air, each explosion fiercer than the last. Flames licked at the dust left behind, cracking and popping as they burned through the wooden beams that had once supported the enormous stone walls meant to protect the city. The walls weren’t going to keep us out tonight. Not anymore.
I knew what this was. It was liquid fire. The stuff was legend, a weapon of old that had faded into myth. I hadn’t planned this, but I knew who did. There was no doubt in my mind that the Alpha Brotherhood had been the ones to put it into place.
Once the explosions quieted into a gentle roar, I finally gave the order for my archers to let their arrows loose. Now that the walls had been destroyed, there would be no time to waste. We had to move quickly enough to take advantage of the confusion that was likely occurring inside. From my intel, Ravenrath had been preparing for a siege. They would have never expected an attack that would break through their walls with this kind of ease. It would be chaos and for us, the perfect time to strike.
The arrows sliced through the night, a silent volley of death that would pierce through the air and into the hearts of men.
And the screams began.
My archers released one volley after another in a quick, practiced succession. The sentries that were left on top of the remaining sections of wall didn’t have anywhere to run and were swiftly taken care of in the downfall. After half a dozen shots, I signaled for my men to cease fire and approach the city. In silence, my entire fleet pulled onto the sandy riverbanks. I jumped out of the longboat as soon as it was possible.
My boots crushed the sand beneath my feet, and I took off running. I could hear all of my warriors following and I sprinted even harder, ready to meet the army of Ravenrath at their footsteps.
The woods echoed with the quiet growls of menacing beasts and I looked to my right only to see a deep red glow amongst the trees. I swallowed heavily. I knew what that was. Some referred to them as Ignastia, others called them skotaurs, but I just knew them as fire-beasts. Long ago, I’d had the misfortune of running into one of them in the wild and had the scar on my back to prove it. They were enormous, with feline features, scarlet eyes, sharp teeth, and giant bull-like horns to either side of their head. Their veins glowed with fire, giving them an ominous appearance as they approached. They walked on four legs like a mountain lion, only they were far more dangerous.
They could breathe fire. To stand against one almost meant certain death.
I hoped that they would be fighting on our side and weren’t Thranar’s attack dogs, lying in wait for our assault. In time, we would find out.
We rushed into the city together as a unit, taking down anyone that stood in our path. Thranar’s men were gathered in haphazard unorganized groups in no particular pattern. They ran groggily through the streets as if they had just pulled themselves out of bed. Some of them staggered with glassy eyes, clearly drunk as they tried to fight off my battle-hardened men. I cut through one after the
other and my warriors followed me without hesitation.
My movements were slow and calculated as I directed my forces through the city toward the castle where Thranar was likely hidden. We didn’t charge around each corner with wild abandon. Instead, we methodically worked our way toward the center in a way that ensured as little death as possible for those who fought by my side. Suddenly, the roar of thousands of men cried out loud from the trees, well beyond the ruined city walls. I grinned. I knew what that meant.
Aric must have arrived, and along with the rest of my forces, he’d brought with him the raw power of the Brotherhood at his back. I couldn’t see our army in the dark, but the glow of their torches approaching from the distance was bright enough to make even my heart pound. There was at least a thousand burning flames at the edge of the forest, but I knew that his army was far larger than that. I’d sent many more than that with him from Valgertha alone.
They charged the city and I could just begin to make out the individual warriors in the burning lights of the city. I saw men on horseback and a fair number on foot. Others rode in on massive dogs and feral-looking wildcats. Others barreled in on enormous elephants with giant curved tusks that swung dangerously from side to side. If an army like that was coming toward me, even I would be afraid.
I saw warriors from Valgertha, but I also saw a number of others from tribes I didn’t recognize in their midst. Some of them were dressed in furs, others wore leather, and a great number of them were outfitted in metal armor that curved around their bodies like a glove. It was a diverse mix of warriors gathered in massive numbers and my confidence in our ability to secure victory tonight grew tenfold.
I turned my gaze away from Aric’s charge and looked up to the castle, where I saw Thranar watching from a balcony high above me. He’d gathered his forces around the castle in an attempt to save himself, but he was probably just realizing that he hadn’t done enough to stop something like this. I held up my hand and my own warriors slowed their approach, edging along the paved road.
It didn’t take long for Aric to reach me, our bond pulsing strongly at his approach. His hand pressed against my lower back and I didn’t even have to turn to know that it was him.
“I have some news that you may find particularly useful,” he whispered, cupping his hand around the back of my neck possessively. I liked that.
“What is that?” I asked quietly. My curiosity was piqued.
“Near the south gate is an entry to an old abandoned trading tunnel that Ravenrath used to use to smuggle supplies in and out of the city. It’s long fallen out of common knowledge, but if you led a small segment of warriors down its path, it would lead you straight into the castle. We could take out Thranar’s forces both from head on and from behind,” he suggested.
The south gate wasn’t far. It was only a couple of miles away.
“I’ve already sent a few men to find the entrance. They will be able to lead you,” he suggested. “Take fifty of your best warriors with you.”
He signaled with his hand and a great many of my men swiftly dismounted their horses without even a moment’s delay. A shield maiden passed me the reins of a large black stallion, and I quickly propelled myself up onto its back. I squeezed my thighs against the leather saddle and whistled three times, a signal meant to gather an elite segment of those that I trusted with my life. In just under a minute, every single one of them had gathered by my side on horses of their own.
“Keep Thranar entertained until I return,” I said with a wink, and Aric grinned knowingly.
“Would you expect any less?” he replied, and I returned his smile.
I flicked the reins and my horse burst into a strong and steady gallop down the street. The hooves of those following me pounded into the rock not far behind me. On foot, it would have taken close to an hour to reach the edges of the city, but on horseback, it would take maybe fifteen minutes. The wind rushed through my hair, whipping it wildly behind me as we rushed back toward the gate. As promised, there were several Valgerthian men waiting for me. Swiftly, I dismounted my horse and approached them. One of them quickly brought me to the entrance of the tunnel.
Hidden just outside the rubble of the remains of the city wall was a decrepit stone staircase that seemingly led into darkness. I was handed a burning torch. It appeared that the entrance had only been revealed as a result of the destruction of the barricade that had once protected the city.
“I sent a man ahead to assess the path, and it runs clear straight to the castle, my queen. It’s dark and a few sections have started to deteriorate, but it leads all the way through,” one of the men said and I nodded in understanding. I recognized him as a man who went by the name Ludin.
“Thank you, Ludin. I appreciate that,” I replied. He bowed his head and I turned away as I descended into the old tunnel without delay. Boots struck against the stones behind me and I took off into the darkness.
The tunnel was fairly direct. Occasionally there was another hallway that led off to the right or left, but the main one was still pretty intact. Ludin had been right to warn me though. In certain areas, the walls had begun to collapse under the weight of the rocky soil above it. I heard water dripping in other places, each drop echoing noisily as we passed through the darkness with only the light from the torch. I moved as quickly as possible, knowing Aric and our combined forces were already meeting the thousands of those waiting for us in battle not far away.
It took some time, but when we finally approached the end of the tunnel, I signaled for silence from those escorting me. I ensured that my steps were light against the rock beneath my feet. It was important that we not give away our position. A fight down here would be dangerous for all of us.
There was a decaying wooden door at the end of the tunnel, clearly breaking down from the semblance of time and rot. Carefully, I pressed my ear against the damp wood and listened for a few minutes. When I was sure that no one was on the other side of door, I slid my axe out of its position on my back.
I swung with all my strength and the wood splintered on my blade. It took a few swings, but the door eventually crumbled enough for all of us to climb through. I put my axe back into place and was the first to make my way into what looked like a long-forgotten room in the depths of Thranar’s castle. Quietly, we made our way through the dusty, cobweb-ridden room and then another hallway until we found a staircase that led up into the massive structure. We climbed up until a locked door blocked our approach. It was reinforced steel, so I couldn’t take it down with my axe.
A shield maiden who went by the name Flicka moved to my side. I watched as she dug into a pouch on her belt. She pulled out a few long pins, knelt before the door, and carefully worked them into the keyhole. She picked that lock in a manner of minutes. The door creaked as it opened, likely from being sealed shut for so many years. When all was quiet, we remained at the door for several long minutes, waiting to see if anyone would come by and no one did. I ascended the stairs slowly at first, preparing myself for a fight at any moment, but no one came for us. It appeared Thranar had sent everyone to guard the castle gates, leaving much of the inside of the castle entirely unprotected.
We moved on in silence, all of us taking care to move as stealthily as possible. Then, just when we reached the top of the stairs, I thought that I heard the sound of someone crying. My ears perked and I came to a complete stop, trying to understand what I was hearing. I lifted my hand and indicated to my warriors to halt beside me.
The crying was real. It wasn’t far away either. I moved in the direction of the quiet sobs and crept along the stone hallway, closer and closer until I knew the person was right around the corner. I peeked around the wall and saw a small blonde woman chained to the wall. I couldn’t see her face. She was slumped over, arms bound straight out to either side of her. The chains were incredibly heavy, old, and rusted. The poor thing was covered in a thin brown cotton dress, but the fabric was ragged and torn in places, revealing bare skin underneath. I
t was stained with dirt and in some spots, with what appeared to be blood. Her wrists were bruised and bloodied from the handcuffs and her arms were bruised from what looked like remainders of cruel fingers digging into her flesh. Some of them appeared fresh while several others appeared to be much older. All of it spoke to regular abuse.
Her shoulders shook with her cries. I quietly crept into the room with her and cleared my throat. She stiffened, hastily lifting her head with fear. Tears dripped down her cheeks, leaving lines in the soot that stained her face. Her terrified eyes bored into mine and I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to help her or leave her be.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” I whispered. She appraised me in silence. The closer I moved toward her, the more clearly defined the evidence of her abuse became. Her right eye was black, and her cheek appeared to be bruised. I wondered if she was one of the working girls of the castle, perhaps a maid or a kitchen servant or even a concubine. My eyes dropped to her bare legs, noting that there were bruises on her thighs too.
I moved closer to her and inhaled the air around her. As an alpha female, I could sometimes tell based on a person’s scent if they were an alpha, a beta, or even an omega. I breathed in deeply and was met with the distinct aroma of an omega, sweet and seductive. She had the smaller stature typical of an omega, standing at maybe five foot tall and very slender.
“Who did this to you?” I asked softly.
“He’ll kill you,” she whispered, her voice shaking with fear. I furrowed my brow in confusion.
“Who?” I pressed.
“The king,” she whimpered, eyes darting around like a feral animal.
“What’s your name?” I asked carefully.
