471 445 square miles of the Morton deadlands became even deadlier after the clash of Linnaeus and Ryan.
Such a battle would not go unnoticed. Recent events felt like a cascading motion towards oblivion.
In baron Dalton's domain;
" Captain, that do we do? What do we tell the baron?" The chubby knight apprentice let out oceans of sweat as they marched towards the baron's study.
In the study;
" Say it once more." Baron Dalton looked somewhat calmly at the soldiers before him trying to calm the suffocating emotions within his heart.
" My lord, it took us two days to reach Rosewood village and by the time we got there the young master was dead. He was assassinated in the dead of night. Days prior, news had spread of a labyrinth discovery by an armless adventurer named Nathaniel Wilton.
The man had supposedly took a potion and regained his missing arm. Knowing this the young master sent about 250 knights in to the Arneth dungeon. The location of the labyrinth discovered.
The adventurer was no where to be found in the village. We went to the dungeon but it was destroyed. All traces destroyed.
Vlad was assassinated along with the young master. Just before we left paladins and forces of the adventurer's guild had arrived in the village possibly for the labyrinth. With the remaining knights I secured the mansion and rushed back to the barony." afterwards the captain stood the silent.
The baron remained silent for a while, " Leave." The chubby apprentice and the squad captain left the study however their steps were tense, they could not make out what would become of them.
In the study the baron reclined on his chair staring at the brightly lit sky. " Send forces to Rosewood village. Bring me my son's corpse. Find the adventurer named Nathaniel. You have three days." The baron took out a pipe and proceeded to smoke whilst thinking.
Three days later...
A headless corpse lay in the arms of a woman whose cries of sorrow almost shattered the window panes. Preservation magic glimmered on Morbius's corpse.
" Honey. I want him dead!" Wrath replaced sorrow as Daisy turned to the baron, he walked forward and embraced her kneeling self and said, " I will find him and you can have the honor yourself."
He patted her head as he cast a warm gaze at the corpse. Daisy snuffled her snobs as rubbed her hands Morbius's corpse looking her at her now dead son.
" Gideon! You could have done better!" Daisy shouted at the baron.
Gideon who was about to walk away turned to daisy, " Leave us." He told the servants.
With the room clear, " I wanted to! He was my son and it's because he was my son that I subjected him to such hardships." Gideon gently embraced Daisy.
" You saw what his brother became. I could not allow Morbius to lose himself in debauchery. He was meant to be something more!" Gideon said with regret.
" What more can he be when his is dead? When all he ever knew was the cold shoulder of his father? Gideon our son is dead. Murdered." Daisy cried on Gideon's chest as her hands turned into knuckles.
" His brother because he was my first born I spoiled him rotten. Look what he grew up to become. An ignorant and ungrateful womanizer. He grew not knowing how to become a king of himself. Such a man has wasted his life."
BANG!
The doors opened abruptly as a second woman came in, she was visibly older than Daisy. Both of them had auburn hair however Daisy had her hair short just above her shoulders while the second woman's hair flowed on her shoulders.
" What do you mean Gideon?! Isaac was not a waste. He was also your son despite how he turned out. Why is that vixen's son more deserving of your love and care? Isaac is also dead! Both your sons are gone. Where is my vengeance? My husband is here comforting another woman while I'm mourning Isaac's death alone."
"Grace, I told you what he would become. You never let me discipline him. Yes both my sons are dead but what matters is what they died doing. One was a waste while the other was forging his path to overcome and reach higher despite his birthright. He was truly a son of the Daltons.
Both of you go on your way now. I have matters to settle. " Gideon turned his head to the other man who stood at the door. Both he and the man looked alike just than Gideon was younger.
In Gideon's study;
" Elder brother, what did I do wrong? Both of my sons were murdered! You have to help me take vengeance." Gideon said to his brother.
" Listen Gideon. I understand why you did what you did. The duke of Marcius would not let us rise to potentially become a threat. Despite millenniums of loyalty. He fears our political acumen and the will to drive those ideas forward.
Our family has been a barony for over 3 millennia yet he refuses to let use ascend in rank because he wants to keep us under control. It was our family that made them what they are today those ungrateful pricks.
So you did what you had to do. But Gideon no action is without consequence regardless of whether that consequence is good or bad. Your consequences in this case is the loss of your sons if not more to come later.
Though they were still my nephews so I will help. We will tear them down. " Gideon's elder brother swore as he patted Gideon's back.
" Perhaps if you had taken the seat then the outcome might have been different." Gideon said downcast.
" I was not ready then and you had what it took. We are brothers, you stepped up for me and I will do the same for you. I will go make preparations. It is time to go to war. The Blackwing organization has not been in full swing in a while." The eldest left leaving Gideon contemplating.
While the barony of Dalton was about to move in pursuit of Nathaniel, the culprit had just awoken after 12 hours of losing consciousness.
After hiking for what seemed to have been months Nathaniel saw a couple miles ahead extending past the trees of the Maldon thicket. A massive plane of grass however the was a faint shimmering light radiating onto the grass and weeds on the flat plane.
The light came from a massive almost translucent dome in the center of those plains. It was a breathtaking sight as he lowered himself from the tree branches and rushed forward.
It was Liberia, the second largest city in the kingdom of Belford just after it's capital Polaris city. Nathaniel rushed ahead, he was eager to leave this damned thicket.
Ba-dump...Ba-dump..Ba-dump.Ba-dump.
Nathanial's heart suddenly began beating faster as a searing pain came from his body. He quickly bit his arm to stop himself from screaming.
He staggered falling to his knees as his chest heaved up and down.
He grasped for his heart, small black tendrils extended brushing his hands away.
" Aahh!" The pain grew intense by the minute. Nathaniel felt like he was about to lose his sanity.
He felt something coalescing in his body. His body twitched vigorously as his conscious slipped.
Like a wave on a string Alex's heart also felt stiff. On the streets of Liberia he rapidly turned his gaze. His instincts wailing. He felt as if those visions which he thought he far into the future where not so far away.
" Alex, you coming?" Amy asked.
" Sure." He left.