CHAPTER 46: THE BELLS OF WAR
A short while after Morde left, Vlad arrived, but he was too late. The wall was gone. Nexan was now exposed, defenseless, laid bare to the Ice Kingdom. When Vlad advanced a bit and crossed to the other side of the destroyed wall, he couldn't believe his eyes.
Sun lay lifeless on the ground.
Immediately after, Vlad began running toward the capital without wasting another second.
Meanwhile, Morde returned through the hidden ice pass he had come from and instantly found himself back in Ice Kingdom territory. But he was utterly exhausted, barely able to walk. On top of that, the sharp, bone-piercing cold of the Ice Kingdom made it even harder. His lungs burned with each breath, his steps slipped on the ice. But Morde would not give up. With his last ounce of strength, he staggered forward.
After walking for what felt like hours, his eyes caught a small cave cleft in the glacial rocks. He dragged himself inside and finally collapsed to the ground, exhausted. He lost consciousness.
By this time, Vlad had reached the capital. His heart pounded, his mind occupied by only one thing: delivering the news of Sun's death and the wall's destruction to King Swain. He swiftly made his way toward the palace. Soldiers who saw him bowed in respect, but the unprecedented severity and fear on Vlad's face unsettled them all. The normally calm and controlled Blood Mage's face was pale, his eyes wild.
Finally, he reached the palace. He rushed through the massive gates and continued running toward the main council chamber. In the corridors, all the soldiers who saw him bowed, but they tensed; it was clear from Vlad's face that he brought news of a great disaster.
Vlad ran a little further, turned left, and finally reached the door to the main chamber. Just then, someone else approached the door from the opposite direction: Kai.
They both reached the door at the same time. Their eyes met. Kai frowned when he saw the expression on Vlad's face. Without a word, they knocked and entered together.
Inside, the room was thick with the atmosphere of planning. Swain was bent over maps at the table, with Terex and Po by his side. Kai approached Swain. Vlad immediately knelt in the center of the room, his breathing still ragged.
Seeing him in this state, Swain felt a shard of ice plunge into his gut. He immediately commanded in a sharp voice:
"Speak, Vlad. What happened?"
Vlad, not even daring to raise his head, began in a choked voice:
"M-my King... Sun... he... he's dead. And... the wall... the wall is destroyed. Completely gone."
Silence.
Then, an explosion.
"WHAT?!" Swain, Kai, Terex, and Po all shouted in unison. The air in the room instantly became electric. Swain's face flushed crimson with rage, then turned deathly white. Kai's eyes widened, his fists clenched. Po and Terex looked at each other in shock.
Vlad couldn't even lift his head. He stared at the floor, sweat dripping from his brow onto the stone. The tension in the room was so thick it was hard to breathe.
Swain slowly asked, each word as sharp and cold as ice:
"Vlad... Sun... how did he die? How did this happen?" He paused, considering the worst possibility. "Morde... is he that powerful?"
Hearing this, Kai immediately interjected, his voice dangerously low:
"Morde? He did this?"
Swain turned his eyes to Kai. The rage and pain within him were being replaced by a cold, iron determination.
"Kai, stopping Morde is now your task. Soon, without a doubt, war will begin. The Ice Kingdom will not wait." Swain slammed his fist on the table. "We underestimated them too much. We forgot they had a trump card like Morde. That was our mistake. But..." A spark rekindled in his eyes. "...if they have Morde, we have Kai. This war... will be ours. We will not lose this war."
Swain was now in full war mode. He stood up from his seat and began issuing orders, his voice echoing in every corner of the room:
"Terex! Is your crew ready?"
Terex stood ramrod straight, not taking his eyes off Swain:
"Ready, King Swain!"
"Po! Are you one hundred percent ready, both physically and mentally?"
Po nodded with a rare serious expression on his face:
"I'm ready, Swain."
Finally, Swain turned to Kai. His eyes looked deep into his young ally.
"Kai. What about you? Are you ready to fight your... brother, your friend? Are you ready to do... whatever it takes to stop him?"
Kai closed his eyes. In his mind flashed their first meeting in Swain's room, Morde's cold, empty gaze. He took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and shouted with a voice strong and clear enough to echo in the room:
"I'M READY! If necessary... for the good of the world, this kingdom, everyone... I'm even ready to kill him, Swain!"
This answer brought a momentary flicker of pain to Swain's face, followed by steely approval.
"Good." Then he turned back to Vlad. "Vlad, send a squad of soldiers to the wall. Have them retrieve Sun's body and bring it back. We will bid him farewell... as befits a hero. On your way out, send Amper to me."
Vlad said, "As you command, My King," and quickly left the room. The weight on his shoulders had lightened slightly; at least there was action now.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter," commanded Swain, his voice still tense.
In came Head Guard Commander Amper with his massive frame. He immediately knelt and whispered:
"Command me, My King."
Swain went straight to the point, his words sharp as knives:
"Amper. The wall has been destroyed. And Sun... is dead."
Amper instantly leaped to his feet. His eyes were wide with shock and disbelief, his face a mask of horror.
"WHAT? My King, how is that possible? Who did this?"
Swain waved his hand, brushing aside the details.
"The Ice Kingdom did it. Never mind that now. Immediately alert all border outposts. They are all to retreat to the city-state closest to the wall where Sun was stationed. And immediately inform the rulers of the city-states: They are to prepare all their soldiers. Every city-state is to send half of its army to the capital at once. Deliver the message immediately."
Swain walked over to the map and pointed at the capital with his finger.
"The Ice Kingdom will attack us today or tomorrow. The front-line city-states cannot hold them, because there is no wall now. They will only buy us time. The real defense will be here, at the capital. If we defend the capital, we win the war. Now, get moving. Time is everything."
Amper digested all this information, a warrior's expression settling on his face as he nodded.
"As you command, My King." He left the room swiftly to carry out the orders.
Meanwhile, in the small cave in the Ice Kingdom, Morde had recovered some of his energy. He opened his eyes. Every part of him still ached, but he now had the strength to walk. He stood up and set off for the Ice Kingdom capital.
A few hours later, in the dead of night, he reached the glacial capital of the Ice Kingdom. The cold affected him less now; his own dark energy seemed to protect him somewhat. He entered the palace and walked toward the main chamber. A few minutes later, the guards at the door saw him and immediately, with a mix of respect and fear, opened the door.
Morde staggered slightly as he entered.
Seeing him, King Task immediately leaped from his ice throne. His eyes held both curiosity and the expectation of victory.
"Morde??? What a surprise. Is the mission... complete?"
Morde walked forward without answering. He slowly sank into a chair by the map table. He took a deep, weary breath and then began to speak, his voice hoarse but clear:
"The border guardian is dead. The wall... is gone, King Task."
These words instantly changed the atmosphere in the room. A tremendous, victorious smile spread slowly, then uncontrollably, across Task's face.
"HAHAHA! THAT'S IT!" he shouted, raising his fist in the air. He immediately turned to Flower, his eyes shining madly: "Flower! Prepare the army immediately! We march at dawn! We have no more time to wait! This is a perfect opportunity for us!"
Task ran to the head of the map and pointed at Nexan territory.
"With no wall, the city-states ahead of us cannot put up a serious defense. They will probably send most, maybe half, of their forces to the capital. We will crush them, but our goal is not to take heavy losses." Task's finger slid across the map to the capital, Urug. "The real battle waiting for us... is in the Nexan capital. The true war will begin there. Swain has already begun preparations, and probably finished some of them."
Flower and Flem bowed their heads simultaneously:
"As you command, My King!" And they left the room to begin war preparations.
Alone in the room with Morde, Task now turned to him. The triumphant expression on his face faded slightly, replaced by a dangerous seriousness.
"Morde... Are you ready to fight Kai? You may have to... even kill him. I hope you're aware of that."
At these words, Morde leaned back slightly in his chair. Despite his weary body, that familiar, psychopathic smile reappeared on his lips. His eyes gleamed with a deep battle lust.
"I am ready to destroy anyone who stands in my way, Task. No matter who it is."
Upon this answer, King Task laughed one last time. He looked out the window at the still-dark horizon. Dawn was near.
"Good. Then... when dawn breaks, Nexan will awaken to its doom."