"Kill! Slaughter them!" The beastkin's roars echoed through the twilight, a chorus of fury and desperation. "Seize this land, and we'll have a home!"
"Drive out these damned humans! Kill them all!" The shouts mingled with the panicked cries of the human inhabitants, their voices shrill with terror. "Run! The beastkin are coming!"
"Help! The filthy beastkin are attacking! The slaves are rebelling!" The air was thick with smoke and the acrid scent of burning wood, punctuated by the clash of steel and the screams of the wounded.
Viscount Joshua's territory was plunged into chaos, a calamity descending as Bella led her beastkin forces in a ferocious assault. The attack had come at dusk, when most of the territory's residents were eating or resting, their guard lowered. The beastkin struck with ruthless precision, their iron weapons glinting in the fading light as they overwhelmed the unprepared defenders.
"Damn them!" Viscount Joshua growled, his grip tightening on his longsword as he watched the beastkin charge through his streets. His face was a mask of rage, his teeth grinding as he cursed the audacity of these creatures.
"My lord, we must retreat!" His knight commander shouted, his voice hoarse from barking orders. The sudden attack had decimated their forces, leaving them unable to mount an effective defense. Bodies littered the ground, and the air was heavy with the coppery tang of blood.
"Fine, go!" Joshua snarled, his face dark with resentment. Flanked by his remaining knights, he fled through the chaos, abandoning his treasures and mistresses without a backward glance. 'If I'd known these beasts would attack today, I'd have slaughtered every slave in the territory,' He thought bitterly, his heart burning with hatred. The loss of his domain stung worse than any wound, his pride shattered by the audacity of those he considered beneath him.
The thunder of hooves filled the night as Joshua and his knights galloped out of the territory, halting on a small hillock overlooking their burning home. The distant glow of flames illuminated the sky, casting an eerie orange light over the landscape. The screams of humans and the triumphant roars of beastkin carried on the wind, a haunting reminder of their defeat.
"My lord, we'll take it back," The knight commander said hurriedly, sensing Joshua's simmering rage. "We'll rally other lords to our cause."
"Yes, my lord, we'll return and crush them!" Another knight added, their voices tinged with desperation. They feared Joshua's recklessness—if he charged back now, they would all perish. The beastkin's ferocity was undeniable, their strength overwhelming.
"Hmph! Let's go," Joshua spat, his voice dripping with venom. He knew his knights were right—they couldn't face the beastkin now, not after such a crushing defeat. But the humiliation fueled his resolve. 'I'll be back,' He vowed, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the burning territory. 'I'll slaughter every last one of those beasts.'
With a final glance, he spurred his horse into the darkness, his knights trailing behind as they vanished into the night.
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Within the territory, Bella shook the blood from her longsword, her face grim as she surveyed the chaos. Flames licked at the wooden homes of the human villagers, the firelight casting flickering shadows across her stern features. 'Those bastards,' She thought, her blood boiling. The knights had set the houses ablaze before fleeing, a spiteful act to deny the beastkin shelter. With winter's chill still lingering for another month, the loss of these homes could mean death for her people, frozen in the unforgiving cold.
"Put out the fires!" Bella shouted, her voice cutting through the din. "Now!"
Her beastkin scrambled into action, scooping handfuls of snow from the ground and hurling them onto the flames. They knew these houses were their only hope for shelter, a refuge from the biting cold. The air was filled with the hiss of melting snow and the crackle of burning wood, a desperate race against the spreading fire.
A beastkin runner dashed up, panting as he saluted. "My lady, we've secured the castle. The human noble escaped."
"Escaped?" Bella's brow furrowed, her brown vertical pupils glinting as she stared into the dark beyond the territory. 'Trouble,' She thought. A fleeing noble would surely return with reinforcements, seeking vengeance. The thought complicated her plans, but she pushed it aside for now.
"My lady, let me take a squad and hunt them down!" A bull beastkin bellowed, his massive frame tense with eagerness.
"No," Bella said, shaking her head. "Our mobility can't match those cunning humans, especially on horseback. We'd risk being ambushed." Her voice was firm, her mind calculating. Their warhorses were exhausted from the battle, and pursuing a fleeing enemy in the dark was a recipe for disaster.
A fox beastkin stepped forward, her ears twitching with worry. "My lady, if that noble spreads word of our presence, the humans will come for us. We'll face a siege."
"Let them come!" A bear beastkin growled, his voice rumbling with defiance. "Let me chase them down, My lady!"
"No," Bella repeated, her tone icy. "We're all exhausted. Let the humans come—it'll give us a chance to make a name for ourselves and draw more beastkin to our cause." Her decision to attack Joshua's territory had been strategic. Its remote location, far from the warring duchies' centers, meant most nobles were too preoccupied to retaliate immediately. Even if they learned of the beastkin's conquest, the cost of attacking would deter them, especially if it weakened their own defenses against rival lords. As for smaller nobles, Bella wasn't concerned—she hadn't attacked them, and that was mercy enough.
"Yes, My lady!" The beastkin replied in unison, their voices ringing with loyalty.
"What about the humans here?" The fox beastkin asked, her eyes flicking toward the cowering villagers.
"Drive them out…" Bella began, then paused, her thoughts drifting to Ayesha, her sister living in a human noble's territory. Her expression softened slightly. "Those who oppressed our kin—make them slaves. The rest, the common folk, can stay if they choose. Put them to work."
"Yes, My lady," The fox beastkin said, nodding.
"Keep a close eye on them," Bella added, her voice cold. "Anyone causing trouble—kill them."
"Yes, My lady."
"How much wheat do we have left?" Bella asked, her tone calm but urgent.
"My lady, we have enough for half a month," The fox beastkin replied, her voice low. "We've already eaten through the wheat we took last time."
"Find a merchant caravan immediately," Bella ordered, her eyes narrowing. "Sell the goods we seized and trade them for wheat."
The fox beastkin hesitated. "My lady, human merchants may not deal with us."
"Lower the prices," Bella said, a cold smile curving her lips. "I don't believe those greedy humans can resist a bargain, especially the merchants."
"And if they refuse, we'll kill them all!" The beastkin shouted, their voices unified in fierce determination.
"Go," Bella said, waving a hand dismissively.
As her warriors dispersed, Bella tilted her head back, gazing at the star-strewn night sky. This victory was the first step toward her dream—a homeland for her people, a sanctuary where beastkin could live free from human oppression. Once she stabilized this territory, her next goal was clear: to bring Ayesha back from Sedona City. The thought of her sister in human hands gnawed at her. The beastkin slaves she had seen today, toiling in the freezing cold to crush stone bricks, fueled her distrust of humans. Their cruelty was a stark reminder of why she fought.
"I hope that Lucas hasn't laid a finger on Ayesha," Bella murmured, her brown vertical pupils glinting with killing intent. "If he has, I'll make him pay." Her voice was a low growl, her heart heavy with worry and resolve. To her, humans were synonymous with betrayal, and she would take no chances with her sister's safety.
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