Rise of the Horde

Ulfrus became even bigger than before and its body was riddled with rock spikes, except for the place where Adhalia was sitting on. A long straight horn also grew from its forehead and its stone fangs became even bigger. It was turning into a form that would surely instill fear in others with just a glance.

Adhalia didn't know if it was her imagination, but it seemed like Ulfrus became taller than before. She wasn't paying much attention to the changes that were occurring upon the summon of Draegh'ana that she was riding on. She was busy tracking where the Verakhs were positioned.

She was keeping an eye on their locations for her to know where exactly will she run to when things didn't go as she expected. There were still many things that she had to do and, on top of her priority list, was to live till the day that the Royal Family of Ereia would fall.

Walking forward with confidence and authority, Ulfrus growled softly to announce its presence and the rider on its back. The Ereian army that was inside their crudely made camp was alerted as they hastily grabbed their weapons and formed up into a battle formation.

Their lines were messy, as they had no proper training. They were just conscripted by the prince with only a week of training. How to swing a sword, thrust a spear and listen to commands. That's all what they have been taught and trained to do.

Their hands were shaking as the intimidating creature sauntered forward towards them while baring its huge fangs at them like it was grinning at their response to its presence. Adhalia on the back of Ulfrus was observing her fellow Ereians.

On a closer look, they looked more like refugees rather than soldiers with how mismatched their armors were. And judging by the looks on their faces, it won't take long for the orcs with her to rout all of them. Her estimates would be less than half an hour of clashing and they will all withdraw from battle.

Adhalia dismounted from the back of Ulfrus and patted it on its rough neck, to which the bear made of rocks and soil responded by lowering its neck for the female human to reach its neck easier. After patting Ulfrus beside her, she turned her attention towards the Ereians who were in front of her. Their dark skins really gave off their identity and also the way they dressed, even with the absence of a banner representing Ereia.

"Who is in command here!? Show me your commander!?" she fearlessly shouted at them as she moved a few steps forward making some of the soldiers flinched since Ulfrus went on position that looks like it was about to charge at them and released a mighty growl that resounded in their ears which sounded like a clap of thunder.

The wind blew and passed by as the trees and grasses swayed with its passing. It was a total silence, as none of the Ereians in front of her had the courage to speak out.

"Make way!"

"Coming through!"

"Let me through!"

Shouts came from the rear of the messily formed battle-line of the Ereians as a four men were making their way to the front. Adhalia crossed her arms in front of her chest as she patiently waited. She noticed that the nervous looks in the eyes of those in front of her changed abruptly and she felt their gazes on her bulging melons making her smirk.

"I am the one in command of this group! May I know who you are!?" a young man with a blonde hair shouted in reply as he made his way to the forefront with three men just behind him who were respectfully standing just right behind their leader.

"My name is Adhalia of the Darhkariss family and I have come here to find out which noble family sent you here! Whose army do you belong to!? Which family do you serve!?" Adhalia shouted as she took out the crest of Darhkariss from inside her clothes and let it dangled in front of her being held by her right hand.

"We serve no one but ourselves! We are no longer part of Ereia!" the young man with the blonde hair responded. "And surely we will not serve another noble even out next life!" he continued to shout, but this time his voice was laced with anger.

"Darhkariss!?" Let me through! Make way!" a commotion sounded from the battle-line of the Ereians as a middle-aged man with hair that had a tint of red in it. He had an incomplete set of armor that was riddled with cracks, and she was sure that it would most likely shatter quickly with just a swipe of Ulfrus.

The middle-aged man didn't stop when he came to the forefront of their formation, but proceeded to walk forward towards Adhalia until he was only a few feet away from her. Ulfrus beside her was growling softly as it was preparing to pounce on the old man if he shows any sign of hostilities.

Adhalia was taken aback as the middle-aged man directly went down on one knee after he arrived in front of her, much like how the servants of nobles would do to their masters or to whoever they served.

"I have found you, my lady. My name is Zaraki the Black, and I have served your father for many years as his eyes and ears near the capital. Here is my token to prove my claim." he brought out a circular metal that was about four inches in diameter and it was engraved the crest of the Darhkariss family and on its back was the name 'Zaraki'.

Adhalia respectfully received the token with both hands as she inspected it to find out if it was real or not. After a few moments of inspecting, she was assured that the token was real. "Why are we called the Darhkariss?" she questioned as a test to Zaraki. Only those who were a member of the Darhkariss family or those they truly trusted knows the real answer to the question. There was an answer to identify those who were servants or somewhat served their family, but there was something else that must be added to find out who is truly trusted by them.

"We are the eyes in the dark..." Zaraki replied as he bowed his head lower. Adhalia knitted her brows as she started suspecting Zaraki. His answer wasn't complete.

"We walk in the shadows to ensure that Ereia is in the hands of someone worthy. We are the guardians of the kingdom." Zaraki continued as he placed his right hand right above his left chest where his heart is at.

Adhalia smiled as she heaved a sigh of relief. Zaraki is someone truly trusted by her family, as no one would ever know the real answer to the question that they, the members of the Darhkariss family, frequently asked their servants. She was now assured that the man in front of her wasn't someone pretending to be one of their trusted servants.

She helped him up to his feet as she returned the token to him and with it was the crest of her family that she had always kept hidden between her peaks. Zaraki stared at the crest for some time before respectfully handing it back to her with both of his hands while bowing his head.

"What happened to the other members of my family? Did anyone else survived?" she asked. Her voice was full of worry as she stared at Zaraki.

The middle-aged man shook his head with his face full of complex emotions. He lowered his head slightly as he averted her gaze. "My lady, I regret to inform you, but there's only two survivors of your family that still lives." Zaraki muttered as he still remembered how hard Baron Ragab defended his third wife, even to the point of deploying all his available soldiers against the soldiers of the prince who wanted his third wife's head.

Adhalia had a look of excitement on her face as she shook Zaraki's shoulders and asked, "Who else survived!?" she almost caused their family's servant's ears to bleed with how loud she shouted.

"Ah... Your cousin, who Baron Ragab took as his third wife. He defended her with all that he got, even challenging the authority of the prince. It wouldn't have ended easily if not for Commander Ishaq and Commander Nassor. She still lives but can't leave the lands of Baron Ragab till her death or else any soldier of the kingdom will kill her for the bounty that Prince Gyassi put on her head." Zaraki reported as he gently removed the hands of Adhalia from his shoulders.

"That good for nothing...." Adhalia shouted curses as she remembered the smirking face of the prince as his father was beheaded in front of her. She was burning up with anger as she remembered the slaughter that happened right before her very eyes and she won't have survived if not for her mother sacrificing herself in order for her to escape. There was no way that she is going to forget all those painful memories and no way that she will forgive the prince. She gritted her teeth in anger and clenched her fist so tight that her nails dug into her skin, making her palms bleed.

"My lady, your hands..." Zaraki muttered as he brought out a clean piece of cloth and bandaged the palms of Adhalia, to which she just remained still. The pain that she was feeling now was nothing compared to what she experienced when she lost all those who were closed to her at the hands of the prince and his men.