Áz - The Battlefield

The Pursuit in the Middle of the Night

Rushing out of the Silver Palace, Laylla first went to the Blue Temple because before she left there was someone who had to warn.

As she rode through the wide stone streets, the main ones of the capital of Aggron, many could see her hurrying. The girl who normally lavished joy and happiness on the townspeople now looked hurried and worried.

Arriving at the Blue Temple, she entered in a hurry, the priests and others who were there did not stop her, they just thought it was strange that she was in such a hurry.

There was usually a certain distinction between the people who worked for the Blue Temple and those who worked for the Aggron Kingdom. It was more a matter of priority besides the fact that every Cardinal, Chief Priest and Deputy Chief had to be a Stage 4 or 5 Lord. Laylla had been a Priest under the Chief Cardinal of the Blue Temple until five years ago, but due to her disagreements with the temple rules by acting alone, and entering a conflict of her own accord, the Cardinal and King decided that she would just be a Lord of Aggron. Since that day she was no longer a Priest, but having been trained and raised by the Cardinal herself she was well known and was not prevented from entering for nothing as long as she did not get in the way.

— Layla…? Why the hurry? — Asked a Priest in the corridors.

— Illye and Noella are gone and I'm going after them alone. My mother is? — Seeking the Cardinal's office, she commented.

— The Cardinal is not present now. — He replied.

Laylla stopped her steps suddenly at that, the reason she had come was no longer in place.

— Where is she? — She asked hurriedly as she got where she wanted to be.

— At the orphanage. — He added.

Laylla then decided to write something for her and entering the room quickly left a letter for the Cardinal.

— I don't have time so if I don't come back, tell her I don't regret anything I'm doing. — Laylla explained very seriously.

The priest looked at her and walked away worriedly, the young Flower Lord seemed to be putting herself in sudden danger. That "if I don't come back" of hers indicated in every way that she might end up dying, he prayed to the Blue Goddess for her as it was all he could do to help her.

Leaving the Blue Temple Laylla ran towards the south gates of Dellaria and on the way, among all those who could see her running hurriedly and worriedly, certain random figures paid more attention to her than the residents themselves. These were not guards or people in the king's service, camouflaged were also shadow assassins, a different team from the one that had gone after the princess. For them that girl who had recently become Lord and now seemed to leave the city alone was a rabbit heading towards a cruel jungle.

To these it didn't matter if this was some trap of the king, as long as she was out and unprotected even for a little less than in the capital they would have their chance.

Laylla arriving at the southern gates took the first carriage she saw leaving and headed for Azzaria.

Some of the people who had been secretly watching her went back to her seemingly normal duties, however others…

A farmer who sold rice ended up having his merchandise knocked to the ground by an angry customer who fled the scene, so he had to leave his tent and return home outside the capital. The customer who had left in anger had taken a last-minute carriage ride to probably return to his village before dark if he could and would complain that he had not been able to get rice at good prices for his wife.

Certain random things that could be considered normal would happen and some people would leave the city with similar reasons, but it turned out that everyone was taking the same transport together.

Laylla after almost half an hour saw Dellaria's sketches disappear after going over a hill and began to think that it was the first time that she alone had gone to a faraway place. The road would be arduous and she might need more than seven days to reach Azzaria, without resting and taking the first carriage she saw in front of her every time she stopped or even going alone if necessary. As she thought, a second carriage, however distant, followed her path, secretly following her.

In a common situation where danger was lurking, still King Illias would at least send guards along with her. For her to leave alone must mean something, at the very least she would face dangers without anyone's help, were they using her as bait? Laylla doubted it but the only really clear fact was that she was alone.

— I have to take care of myself… — She commented looking around as she left the capital behind.

But is simply taking care of yourself enough? She despite thinking about it didn't have an answer.

Armed with determination, faith and flowers she would go on despite any doubts she would go on and on as far as she could, until they were in the end. Due to having left in a hurry Laylla was not notified in time for Quaresma's report and even if she was she would probably still find them because there would be no information about the whereabouts of the two, if without knowing that they were alive Laylla had already done all this herself. she knew. would probably make it worse.

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In a village after the second city south of Dellaria, a tall man with sunburned skin was carrying some stones on a wooden cart, currently he worked in a small stone mine and this was probably his last trip for today. It was already early evening and the man was the last one left in the old mine. Such a place had already drained of most of its precious metals, leaving only materials that are usually used in pavements and in the construction of buildings, because of this nothing would be stolen in that place, which made workers and local residents not care about possible theft of what was in the mine. A strong man like him used to be seen by other miners as a fool who wanted to try too hard even if he got the same pay as everyone else.

Armed with the dim light of the full moon and a torch, the man with a muscular body covered in scars pushed the cart along a curving path descending in the direction of the village. It had been a few months since he had arrived in the village, his appearance and strength confused the villagers into believing that he was a guard or a captain in the Aggron Army, he himself had not denied such an assumption and had only said that he was retiring from the service and he had chosen a random spot halfway from the military cities in the east to spend the rest of his life.

[Having such a simple life after years is gratifying.]

As he pushed the wagon on the dirt road he saw some movement far away on the horizon, the mine he had come out of gave a good view of the road that led to the village, being possible to see what was coming and going on both sides. Paying attention to what he had seen, even though it was night he noticed a small flicker of light flickering from what must have been a torch coming from the direction of the most central cities of the kingdom towards the village he resided which was still a little further away. . Maybe it was impossible for a normal human, but he could make out a little more movement behind that light as if something was following it.

Over time he understood what was happening, it was a persecution of someone.

A chase in the middle of the night on the way to a random village, taking into account that Aggron was not a kingdom known to have Lords with powers associated with darkness, he quickly came to the conclusion that the pursuers were not at the king's behest because if they were they probably were. they wouldn't act that way overnight.

— Hahahaha… Looks like someone's in big trouble, finally. — He commented on the cold night wind. — I've seen this situation many times... After all these years it seems to have become something common. Kandar... What have you become.

Dropping the wagon, the man turned his attention to the large boulders of rough terrain around the small path he was on and walking towards one of them he measured it and gave a satisfied smile.

— This one will do. — He said as he looked at the stone as he studied it with his torch.

Throwing his torch to the ground, the man touched the stone which was apparently about thirty meters in diameter, grabbing it he made a little effort and turning his head towards that distant light he waited a few moments.

— Whoever it is... I'll be helping out. —  He spoke again, even though he was too far away for them to hear. — I hope they take the opportunity to smile at their deaths, because for those who plot against the lives of others, I see no reason to receive even a shred of mercy.

— HA!!! — He shouted as he lifted the big boulder and threw it in a parabola up in the direction where those lights were.

With the speed that the huge rock would go, the chances of hitting the person in front would be really minimal, now those behind... Their survival was another story.

If the pursuers weren't at the king's behest then their lives wouldn't be relevant here, quite the opposite and maybe getting rid of them would be of great help.

That wasn't the only stone he threw, followed by that he soon threw another, and another, and another.

There was a shower of giant rocks heading towards the road. There was a reason why Kandar was in this town and apparently now after several months finally some action was happening.

— Calm down Kandar, these poor people have family… — He commented to himself mocking the chase.