The Crown's Entrapment

A few moments earlier…

Darius, the infamously ruthless King of the Kingdom of Cordon, traveling with his commander, Gideon, saw the fight between the lad and the barbarians below the edge of the same cliff on their way back to their kingdom.

He frowned as his eyes followed the brave lad with a petite frame. Compared to the barbarians, he was far too small to be fighting them off all by himself. He knew something was off about the lad, but he couldn't exactly figure out what it was.

"He has been fighting them alone for quite some time. Judging by his small appearance, I don't think he will last long," Gideon commented before adding, "If he continues, he will die very soon, Your Majesty."

Darius did not respond to the comment. However, his gray, predatory eyes never seemed to leave the lad who was determined to fight till his death. He frowned at the metallic smell wafting through his nose.

Majority of the blood was spilled from the lifeless bodies of the barbarians killed by the lad. But overpowering the pungent odor of their blood was another scent which seemed to grab Darius' attention.

"The poor lad will meet his doom soon," Gideon whispered, feeling a little frustrated at their inability to make a move to save him. They were wearing military cloaks with their kingdom's emblem, meaning they couldn't afford to expose their identities and put their land and people at risk.

Earlier, Gideon had sensed a dark witch's power surrounding the area. He was sure their kingdom would become a target of the witch as soon as they got involved.

"Your Majesty, it is not wise to stay here any longer. I'm afraid the witch will notice our presence soon," Gideon reminded his King, utterly worried as the witch's dark aura grew with each passing second.

But unfortunately, there was no response from Darius. Gideon cursed inwardly, trying to think of a way to pull Darius away from the scene.

"Hah! Look at that!" Darius growled with passion. He observed the lad's quick movements, genuinely amazed at the skill being displayed. He was small but he moved like lightning. Unlike those clumsy barbarians, who only knew to attack and kill, this lad was wise, knowing how to use his small frame to his advantage.

"The lad seems to fight well, Your Majesty. He might be able to send them all to an early grave even without our help," Gideon reasoned, silently urging his King to leave the scene. "Let's leave, Your Majesty. I beg you. I can sense the dark power getting stronger, it's not safe for us to stay here any longer. Your Majesty, please… We have to move now."

But to Gideon's horror, Darius simply smirked as his eyes failed to leave the lad who was still swinging his sword with practiced precision.

"I can't simply watch and do nothing, Gideon. It would be a waste of talent to let such a good fighter die when I can save him, don't you think?" Darius retorted.

Before Gideon could complain and remind Darius about the dark witch's power dwelling around, Darius had already made his move, jumping off from his horse to help the lad.

Darius ruthlessly slashed the last barbarian into pieces before landing in front of the lad who had closed his eyes as if waiting for his demise.

"You fought well till the end, lad. But you must not wait for your doom when there's still a breath left in you," Darius grunted.

The lad slowly opened his emerald eyes and looked at Darius. His gaze carried the brightness of the stars, making Darius flinch.

He couldn't help but feel a pull towards that lad! Being this close to him, he could finally confirm that the scent which grabbed his attention earlier was definitely coming from this lad.

''This can't be!'' he muttered in disbelief, breathing in the intoxicating scent again.

He didn't have much time to think about his revelation as the lad's weak and drained body collapsed, forcing Darius to catch him in his arms.

The young lad slowly opened his eyes. He whimpered, feeling the stinging pain of his wounds littered all over his body.

Noticing the lad's distress, Darius bent towards him and whispered reassuringly into his ears, "You're still alive, and you will survive this, lad. I saved you, I won't let you die."

He silently smirked when he felt the lad sigh in relief and relax his body.

Carrying the lad in his arms, he climbed back onto his horse. However, the lad suddenly started to move, struggling to be free from his grip.

Darius tightened his arms around him and scolded, "Stop moving, or your wounds will bleed even further."

"Where are the kids and the women? Are they all safe?" the lad asked in a raspy voice, his tone laced with worry.

"They are all fine. You should worry about yourself right now," Darius answered.

As soon as the lad got his answer, he lost consciousness.

Darius stared at the unconscious lad with narrowed eyes, noticing his soft, feminine features despite his gender. He was undeniably a good-looking lad despite all the dirt and blood covering his face.

[We finally found-]

[Shut up!] Darius growled in annoyance, cutting his inner wolf Zeus from talking.