"They're retreating…" Vlad sighed deeply as he watched the Rat King finally back down.
His eyes quickly scanned the surrounding scene.
Bodies upon bodies of rats were scattered all across Shattered Sky, from the treetops to the bloodied rivers.
"Disgusting…" His face twisted in revulsion.
However, it wasn't only the Rat King who had lost this battle—he and his people had as well.
His dead men had been reduced to mummies around him, their blood having been turned into a weapon by their leader during the fight.
Vlad couldn't help but feel irritated. Both sides had suffered losses, and no one had gained anything.
It had been a meaningless conflict.
"Cursed rat, even with a brain, it still thinks like an animal." Vlad slowly walked toward a throne made of stone and sat down.
The sun illuminated his pale figure after he had opened the mountain from the inside out.
The Rat King was a king in name only, yet he was an aspirant to true kingship—one who cared for his people.
"Bring me a damage report. I want to know everything we lost," he ordered. A report was quickly handed to him.
"We lost around five hundred men. Our supplies were devoured by the rats along with any other resources. My lord, I regret to inform you that we lost everything except our lives. Even the metal and leather were eaten by the rats."
"He did this on purpose, just to irritate me." Vlad snorted angrily, clenching his fists and slamming them against the throne's armrest before resting his head on his hand.
"We'll have to move the schedule forward," he said flatly. "I know you're tired, but I need the scouts to do their job. Otherwise, we'll starve."
Some of them nodded and immediately dashed off toward the village where Kai was.
"The rest of you—sharpen your blades and repair your armor as best you can. Soon we'll enter combat, and after that—gold, women, and good food and drink! Enough to forget the nightmares of Shattered Sky!"
He shouted, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Vlad laughed, amused at seeing his men eager to take the field, while he waited for the scouts to return—something that should have taken only a few hours.
However, his expression darkened after nearly a full day of waiting. His face twisted into a scowl.
His men had not returned as usual.
Something must have gone wrong. Perhaps the Rat King hunted them down in retaliation. Vlad immediately called for a new group of scouts and sent them out.
Another day passed. This time, Vlad pondered deeply, his gaze sharp.
'Something strange is going on… I'd better move instead of sacrificing more men in vain.'
With a sigh, he rose from the throne and walked toward the exit, drawing his people's attention.
"Sometimes a king must remember why he is king," Vlad chuckled, recalling a popular saying about lions.
"Wait here. I'll return soon with good news."
His men nodded uneasily, unsure how to feel about it.
Vlad calmly crossed Shattered Sky, carefully observing his surroundings.
"They must have come this way," he said as he began tracking his men.
Without much difficulty, he found signs of a violent battle. The tracks led out of Shattered Sky and into a mist…
"Condor Mist in Axel? What's going on?" He quickly noticed the dense fog and touched it carefully.
It felt like a mildly poisonous mist, very different from the true nightmares Condor could create.
"Too weak to affect me or my men. I wonder if this is some desperate plan."
Vlad advanced anyway.
Soon, in the common misty woods of Axel, Vlad found the remains of his men—every one of them bearing claw cuts and burn marks across their bodies.
Vlad looked upon the scene with sorrow, sensing two eyes hidden within the fog watching him.
"You should retreat." Suddenly, Kai emerged from the mist with black tears flowing from its seven orifices. "I know that you and your people are hungry, but here, only calamity awaits you."
Vlad laughed, amused.
"You're right—Axel has always been a calamity." Vlad stared deeply at Kai. "You've always stolen our lands, destroyed our homes, and then called us primitive barbarians when we did the same."
Kai remained unfazed.
Vlad burst into laughter, his eyes slowly tainted by the insanity cultivated over an entire lifetime.
"And if I don't invade, what will we eat? Poison? Rats? Dirt? Call us whatever you want—raiders, barbarians, to hell with it! At least this way, we'll survive."
Kai's heart sank, but he didn't show it.
"I've given my warning. I hope you're wise enough not to lead your men to their deaths once again." Kai turned his back and walked toward the village.
Vlad clenched his teeth as he watched.
For years, his group had flown under the radar, disguising themselves as a common band of bandits.
For years, they had grown stronger and prepared for an attack on Axel.
For years, they had dreamed of reclaiming their territories.
And now, everything seemed on the verge of collapse.
The natives, more than ever, faced the possibility of extinction.
With a sigh, he slowly made his way back, weighing his options.
Before he realized it, he was seated upon his throne once more.
His eyes scanned his men again.
'It's sad to see this… the vast majority of them don't even know life beyond crime.'
Vlad let out a dry laugh.
'Our people—reduced to raiders, confined to a poisonous land, and left to die.'
'If only it weren't for that king…'
His hands gripped the throne tightly, nearly crushing it.
'I have no choice but to raid those lands.'
"Men, it's time to fight!" he suddenly shouted, startling his soldiers—but they immediately steadied themselves and rose, weapons in hand.
The crowd quickly marched across Shattered Sky with Vlad at the forefront, the ground trembling beneath their steps.
'First this village, then the neighboring ones. One after another, and then we'll invade the nearby cities. It'll be a busy day—but it'll be worth it.'
Before long, Vlad reached the mist that blanketed the forest once again.
One more step, and he would be inside it.
"This is your last chance—turn back or face my wrath." Kai's voice echoed through spells.
"That's why I hate tigers," Vlad muttered before advancing once more.
His men soon entered the dense mist. The air was toxic, but their bodies handled it easily, drawing laughter.
"This is what we were supposed to fear?! Some random fog?!" The men laughed as they marched and started singing.
"Just a little more, and the women will be mine for the night."
"Just a little more, and the men will scream as we kill their children."
"Just a little more, and the land will be bathed in blood, and we'll finally be free from that cursed land."
Kai sighed.
"May the gods have mercy on your souls."
Kai then summoned his flames, and in the next instant…
"No!No!No!Retreat!Retreat!!!!" Vlad screamed, his eyes penetrating the mist and understanding everything in the last moment.
But it was too late.
Vlad watched in horror and helplessness as the mist turned to fire at Kai's ignition.
"Poor souls."
BOOOOOOOM
The entire forest erupted in flames.