Vengeance: The Blood Moon Curse

Prologue 3: The Alabusian Pride

Stella carried Argus to a chamber located in the dull and cheap part of the palace which was reserved for the servants and maids. The chamber Stella carried the baby inside was full of maids wearing revealing dresses. It was the emperor's fetish for the maids to be in two-piece mostly, regardless of the weather or season.

When Stella entered, an old maid combed the hair of a young maid who seemed to be a fresh recruit. It was going to be her maiden experience in the emperor's harem.

"You must not infuriate him. He would not hesitate to crush your scalp," warned the old woman when she combed the young maid's hair. "Something like this happened a few days ago when the emperor got the news of his loss and that he had lost the fourth castle. They brought you to fill her slot."

No one mentioned it but they all noticed the trembling body of the young maid. Her lips were dry, and her eyes looked terrified. 

The old maid spotted Stella at the door. She quickly bowed her head and presented a chair for her to sit in. All the maids aligned themselves and bowed to her.

"Commander Stella, is there an issue?" asked the old maid in concern as it was rare for the commander of the assassination squad to be in the maid chamber. She feared Stella because she only appeared before the people she had received orders to kill.

They eyed at the baby in her arms wondering if it was her and the emperor's illegitimate child, and if she wanted to get rid of him.

Stella denied sitting and said, "I have come here on the emperor's orders." The maids looked at each other with puzzled faces. "The emperor has ordered to take care of this newborn. Here, take him." The maids were now sure of what they had guessed.

Stella handed the baby to the old maid who already fell for his adorable face. "If you pardon me, can I ask whose child is this?" The old maid asked, hesitatingly.

"You don't need to know. All you have to do is take care of this baby. Cherish him with your life as he is valuable to the king..." responded Stella.

The old maid glanced at the baby and nodded. They had not given her such an important task in her life. Being a maid with almost no personal life, raising a child was one of her last wishes.

"If something happens to him and you could not carry your duty, you know what would be the consequences," added Stella as she released some of her spiritual energy to warn her before turning to walk away. "You could be the one to get your skull crushed,” she said as she walked out of the door.

The maids were envious of Stella's provocative figure that was noticeable in the fitting assassin uniform. Her measurements surpassed the hottest of women, but they conceived of it as a wasted gift.

Argus slept in the old maid's arms and all the other maids adored his cuteness and were touching his cheeks and fingers to play with him.

"Hey, you will wake him up," said the old maid and took him away from them.

"Leave me alone..." Argus said in his mind with his eyes closed. “… I am too old for you women to play with my cheeks.”

***

The Nigrosian army was deployed to take over the remaining castles Argus had conquered. The Alabusian commander at the fourth castle was stressed as there was no news from emperor Argus and commander Ruther. Their army had disappeared into thin air on the way to the fifth castle.

It was too much of a shock for him when he received the news of Layla's death and that they lost the fifth castle at the hands of the Nigrosian soldiers.

"What? How could this be? Layla..." Magnus Steel Albus, the commander in charge of the fourth castle uttered in shock when a survivor soldier from the fifth castle gave him the news.

Commander Magnus Steel stood six feet tall with a noticeable jawline and a large monster-like build-up. He was a middle-aged brown-skinned man with long black hair tied as a braid and had a long and bushy beard. He had known Argus since childhood and they had fought together in numerous battles. 

They considered Magnus a monster for his raw strength. However, it was not the only quality he offered. He had the keen battle sense that he gained through the numerous battles he had fought.

"Yes, commander. They brutally murdered our empress and took her newborn," The surviving soldier mentioned, almost choking.

The soldiers and the commander sobbed at this news. "What were you doing when this happened?" The commander stood up from his throne and grabbed the soldier's neck. "Why didn't you save them!?" he cried.

Palmer, the old general somehow made him leave his neck when he found the soldier choking. "Commander, stop. You will kill one of ypur own."

The commander turned at him with tears in his eyes and seated on his throne. He signaled the surviving soldier to go away without uttering a word. The people present there guessed he must have choked out of misery.

When the surviving soldier went away, the young Damien Albus Heartstone, the second in command of the fourth castle and right-hand man of Magnus asked, "What does it mean, commander? If Master Argus went to the sixth castle with the army, how did the Nigrosian soldiers and assassins reach the fifth castle? Why didn't our spies inform the people in the castle before their army reached them?"

It was, of course, a matter of immediate concern.

"Damien," Magnus replied, "Someone betrayed us."

"What?"

The people present in there murmured among themselves after the shocking revelation. "Who would do such a thing?"

"It means either they captured Master Argus or..." It terrified Magnus to even think about it. It was too difficult for him to accept it.

"Commander, are you saying that..." gulped Damien as he figured out what Magnus indicated to.

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions yet," A soldier mentioned with a disapproving face. "I mean... it's Master Argus we are talking about."

"Considering the fact that those assassins took the newborn with them, it clearly means that..." Damien paused as he didn't want to mention it but they all knew what he was referring to.

Before they all knew it, tears poured down their cheeks.

"We have to stay strong, brave men..." Commander Magnus said when tears flowed down his cheeks and soaked his beard. He clenched his fists as his heart sank when he thought about the unknown. "We must stay strong and fight. Even if what we think is true, we have to move ahead and carry on the Alabusian pride." He tried to keep the morale of the soldiers as they had to face an army without their emperor. He stood up and wiped off his tears and somehow drank his grief.

He addressed the brave Alabusian men, "Men! We are honorary Alabusians! Promise me today, even if we lost our leader, we will not forget our Alabusian pride and fight till our last breath. Promise me! You will not let his sacrifice go into vain..."

All the brave men whose tears soaked the carpet below their feet roared in sync-

"WE PROMISE!"

A soldier entered the chamber in a hurry and announced, "An army is approaching us!"

Magnus took a deep breath after hearing it and said, "Men! It's time to show those devil worshippers what we Alabusians are made of!"

"Yeah!" They all cried in sync after they pulled out their swords. “Long live Alabusia! Long live Alabusia! Long live Alabusia!” They waved their swords in the air filling their hearts full of determination to fight and die to protect their lands.

"Pick up your weapons! Unsheathe your swords! Raise your blades! We are going to shed some blood..." announced Magnus glaring ahead before the battle cries of the soldiers echoed all around the castle.