The next morning, Dario woke up feeling vibrant. He immediately scurried to Maria’s room to check up on her. As he made his way to her room, his royal servants on the way greeted and bowed to him in reverence. When he got to her room, he realized she wasn’t there. Where did she go, this early in the morning?With his brows furrowed and his heart starting to racing, he went around the mansion looking for her. While at it, he also asked the royal servants and guards if they had seen her and none of them had seen her today.Just before Dario lost it, he found her in the kitchen making eggs. He heaved a sigh of relief, a smile creeping up his lips. “This was the last place I thought you’d be,” he said as he entered the kitchen. Maria looked up at him and smiled brightly. She looked better than yesterday. Dario could barely see any hint of sadness on her face and he felt relieved about it. She chuckled at his statement and greeted him warmly like always, “Good morning, my love.” “Good
“The Raven Society?!!”“What!!”The Raven Society was a secret society that had cast a dark shadow over the country for decades. Its name alone was enough to send chills down the spines of even the bravest men and women.Though they had not been heard of in years, the results of their spite still lingered on the soul of the country. This secret society was known for its ruthlessness and unrelenting pursuit of power. Everyone knew about the Raven Society, though only few dared to speak of them openly.Dario’s heart began to race faster as multiple questions swirled in his mind. What did Lord Reynolds have to do with the Raven society?Was he part of them?Did he end up getting involved in any of their shit?Were they out for him?Still in shock, Dario read on trying to find more references to the secret society and any dirty business deals.“Why the fuck did he get himself involved with a secret society??!” he exclaimed through his gritted teeth.He kept decoding the entry which the
Several weeks later, Dario stood in his training field with Lord Wilson. His firm and practiced hand gripping the hilt of his sword. He moved through his routine, each swing of the sword cutting through the air with a sharp, metallic hiss. Sweat trickled down his face from his brows with each strike. And rage fueled his focus, sharpening his reflexes and honing his combat skills to a razor’s edge. Dario’s movements now flowed with a fluid grace, a result of the countless hours he had spent perfecting his techniques. His muscles were tense and flexed with each strike, the rhythm of his breathing also steady and controlled. Everyday for the past weeks, Dario had invested most of himself in his journey of becoming a powerful god-of-war. He had read books, solved strategic and critical battle problems, practiced combat to the fullest and many more, with Lord Wilson by his side. Alongside, he had been brewing with rage ever since he found out about his father’s association with the Rav
Dario stopped in his path when he heard Lord Wilson and rolled his eyes. “Come and have a seat,” he offered to Dario who then walked to have his seat. “I know you know what I’m about to ask you, which is why you just tried to sneak out without saying a word,” Lord Wilson said, looking at Dario with a straight face.Dario avoided eye contact and looked down at his legs and just listened to Lord Wilson talk. “First off, I would like to commend your skills, strength and determination. How you’ve invested so much time and energy in building yourself these past weeks, I can say you’re now past halfway in your journey and I’m proud of you.”“Thank you, Lord Wilson.”“With that being said,” he paused and heaved a sigh, his expression a mix of concern and curiosity. “Your Majesty,” he began, his voice gentle yet firm, “it is glaring that you’ve been angry for weeks and I have tried to ask why, but you seem hell bent on not opening up…”Dario didn’t look Lord Wilson in the face and just look
When Dario left Lord Wilson’s house, he went straight to the palace. On his way, he ordered Bruce to inform the ministers, generals and other key advisors of the empire for an emergency council meeting. Before Dario left Lord Wilson, the latter had explained every detail about the war to Dario. Dario also met with the person who came as a representative from Armenia, who also enlightened Dario on everything he needed to know about the war. The grand hall of the palace was filled with soft murmurs of conversation as the council awaited the arrival of their emperor. They all wondered why an emergency meeting had been called for, as it was late in the evening. The large doors to the hall swung open, and the room fell silent as Dario walked in, his presence commanding immediate attention. Upon seeing their emperor, they all stood on their feet and bowed in reverence.Dario strode to the head of the long council table, his cloak billowing behind him. He nodded to the council members and
Dario stood in his father’s study properly kitted and ready for their journey to Armenia. It was time! He wore a well fitted shirt and a leather trouser for protection against potential hazards along with sturdy boots.‘It’s really happening,’ he thought, staring at Lord Wilson’s sword in his hands. Few months ago, if someone had told him that he would be on his way to join a battle at this time, he would have called the person a clown. But here he was. Dario took a deep breath, and looked around the study. There were only two outcomes; either he would be able to stand in this place again after the war or he wouldn't. His heart pounded at his reality but he summoned courage and maintained his composure.“Go with me and bring me back safely,” he said, his voice above a whisper as he closed his eyes. “You’re my guardian angel now and it’s the least you could do, father.” Dario said a little prayer to the spirit of his late father regardless of how upset he was with him at the moment.
“Ambush! Take cover!” They ground to a halt as the soldiers spilled out of the trucks and tanks and took up defensive positions behind the vehicles. Without hesitation, they began to fire back at the enemies. The air was filled with the sound of orders being shouted, weapons being readied like guns being cocked, and the thuds of boots on the ground. “From a defensive perimeter! Return fire!” Dario commanded, his voice steady and authoritative. He and his generals quickly dismounted, taking cover behind a jeep as they assessed the situation.The soldiers moved with practiced precision, some were setting up machine guns on tripods, others crouching behind the wheels of trucks to return fire. One of the soldiers shouted, “Reloading!” as he ducked behind a fallen log, rapidly firing. Another soldier launched and threw a grenade towards a cluster of the suspected areas of the enemy, the explosion sending a shockwave through the forest and a cloud of debris into the air.Who knew they
The rest of the journey was peaceful and they were almost in Armenia in no time. On their way, Dario and the generals went over their battle strategies to make sure there was no loophole and if at all there would be casualties, it should be minimal. Now that they had experienced a bit of the enemy kingdoms, they knew best to be well prepared. “General Marcus, General Cassius, well done,” Dario applauded them. “We need to be very much prepared. No room for mistakes!”As they approached Armenia, their noses itched with the scorching smell of smoke from a distance. And as they got closer, more smoke filled the air making it hard to breathe properly. The soldiers coughed repeatedly, flapping their hands in the air to minimize the amount of smoke they inhaled. Thick smoke billowed into the sky making the atmosphere blurry too, but after a while, as the vehicles moved forward, it became more clearer. Dario’s heart broke at the sight he beheld as they drove into Armenia. Everywhere was