Far west of the location lord Karai had fallen, another warlord contemplated a decision similar to the leader of the warlords'—except that he did not know about his leader's decision. And never would.
Two of the highest-ranking warlords had taken off to see the king, while the others waited: waited in hopes of good news. They all shared similar views on the death of their knights, and their hearts all broke at the record of losses.
This warlord overlooked a vast forest stretching between two mountains. Yet, despite the density of vegetation that spread out before him, his brown eyes seemed to witness every battle and every death that occurred.
Carrying a listless gaze that showed how exhausted he was of their situation, the warlord would not allow his eyes to rise from that scenery. He considered it dishonor not to witness those valiant Knights in their last moments.
Images flashed through his mind—memories of the days he saw those soldiers grow through training. He and the other warlords had been present all through their maturing, and now, he was present before their endings.
The warlord's eyes shone with many emotions, but grief surpassed the others in intensity, and every now and then, tears would fall from his eyes.
This battlefield had been a difficult one to adapt to, but the knights had done so without complaint. Magical creatures had been employed to ease movement and break the enemy's numbers as they poured out from the regions in the distance.
That forest and mountain served as a natural wall between the enemy's camp and the large city seated on a region that ascended and descended, protected by tall stone walls capable of hosting chariots.
Mounted upon the city's walls were ranged offensive measures, capable of covering kilometers to reach their targets. It was the city's last line of defense, so they used it sparingly.
Explosions rang out in every corner of the battlefield, and the sound of weapons clashing never ceased. Fire burned in various locations, and smoke never stopped rising to the sky. The movement of mana was impressive to say the least. Every Eistorian knight was capable of utilizing mana, but the same could not be said for the enemies, who were a mixture.
This mixture caused the Eistorians to claim more lives, but the same issue persisted even there. The enemy was just too great in number. They literally seemed endless.
"How long are we going to watch this? Lord Rishil," A voice rang out beside the warlord draped in a black robe. He wore it to mourn.
The voice belonged to a Golden commander who did not don his armor, but appeared to mourn just like his leader.
"I do not know," lord Rishil responded, unable to say anymore since his heart continued to hurt.
Hard-pressed for more details, the golden knight spoke again. "Will the king intervene today?"
A heavy wave of silence befell the duo; that question stung, but lord Rishil could not speak; he had no response for that question. The knight understood that silence and heaved a sigh, carrying untold emotions.
Their king had seemed invisible, and truly he was. He would be able to end those deaths in one swoop, so why wait?
Doubt concerning whether the king truly cared appeared in the hearts of every golden and silver knight. And how could they not doubt? It was only the fifth day, but it felt like eternity had passed.
Every rank had suffered from the barrage of that unjust union. Yes, even golden and silver knights had been lost, and unknown to all, a warlord had died too.
Lord Rishil continued to behold those deaths when something finally happened — it was something unique enough for him to lift his gaze from the battles and peer forward, looking miles away.
An entity approached his location, and the bloodlust they carried remained impossible to ignore!?
Immediately, Lord Rishil's armor appeared to shield his body in preparation for the inevitable clash.
The magical creatures battling below sensed the presence before the humans could, and soon a cacophony of panicked roars and cries filled the region, momentarily halting the heated battles.
Two large battle axes appeared in the Warlord's grip, and the sky around him seemed to bend under the sheer weight he now unleashed on his surroundings.
The entity approached him at blinding speeds, and the closer it got, the stronger it seemed!
The warlord frowned, however. Something was wrong.
Several balls of blue flames flickered into existence around him when he realized his need for more power because he had more than one opponent.
The three golden commanders assigned to that region appeared behind him, but his aura pushed them away.
Soon, the entity appeared within visible range, and Lord Rishil's eyes widened behind his helmet. Concern appeared in his mind, and he turned to roar orders at his men, but his timing was off.
A giant shadow descended on the forest the instant he turned, and before he could regain his focus, the figure's claws crashed into his figure, sending him into the ground like a speeding comet.
A large portion of that forest turned into a crater at that point, as shock waves unfolded in all directions — further stalling the fights.
Hundreds died in the process.
Appalled by what just unfolded, the golden knights, including every Eistorian knight still alive, looked up to behold the figure that had decimated their leader.
Horror.
Disbelief.
Sadness.
Defeat.
A mixture of emotions formed in their hearts, and every Eistorian Knight, united by their terror, concluded that there was no surviving that battle. How could they survive? WHEN A DRAGON HAD APPEARED BEFORE THEM?
Gray scales that glistened in the sun, thick black claws the size of a full human, regal wings that caused the whole ground to rumble each time it flapped, and a formidable aura that let every living creature know it considered them mere meals.
These were the details etched into the very souls of those depressed knights. What in the nine continents had equipped their enemies with a beast of fables and legends?!
It was said that a single elder dragon was capable of wiping out empires, and that it had even happened several times in history!
Thanks to the innate abilities and strengths they possessed, Dragons were considered the apex predators of apex predators — so rare that in all history, only six elder dragons had ever existed!
It was a creature of such caliber that had stepped into that battlefield. What other option did they have than to die?
Still, the region shuddered violently when a series of large chains made completely out of blue flames erupted out of the crater to bind the silver dragon, before transforming its body into one large ball of fire!
The creatures' cry reverberated throughout the region while the Warlord's figure ascended to reveal how unscathed and livid he was.