Chapter 284: The Last Sheild
[The Desert Road of Zahryssar — Continuation]
The battlefield disappeared beneath a storm of steel.
CLANG!!
CLANG!!
SLASH!!
The once-sacred road had become a sea of blood and golden sand. The celebration...had transformed into slaughter. Captain Varesh’s twin blades danced through the battlefield like flashes of silver lightning.
Three Black Serpents lunged toward him at once; he ducked beneath the first strike—
SLASH!!
One throat opened and he spun.
CRACK!!
His elbow shattered another’s jaw before the third could retreat—THUD!!
Varesh’s second blade pierced straight through his chest; his voice thundered across the battlefield. "DO NOT BREAK THE FORMATION!! The IMPERIAL CARRIAGES come before your own lives!!"
"YES, CAPTAIN!!" The Royal Knights answered as one.
Nearby... Raevahn’s sword flashed again, again and again. Every strike forced another assassin backward; blood covered his armor, yet...his footing never moved an inch from the defensive line, and he growled.
Elsewhere...Prince Sarash’s silver spear whistled through the battlefield.
WHOOOOOOSH!!
One Black Serpent attempted to leap over the wall of Royal Knights, but...too late.
THUD!!
The spear pierced straight through his chest, throwing him several feet before his body crashed upon the blood-soaked sandstone.
Yet...Sarash’s eyes never remained upon the battlefield for long, again...and again... His gaze kept drifting toward a single carriage; his expression slowly tightened.
Another assassin charged toward him.
"Die!"
Sarash spun.
CRACK!!
His knee slammed into the serpent’s ribs before the silver spear swept in a wide arc.
SLAAASH!!
Blood painted the golden sand without waiting for the body to fall... Sarash ran straight toward the carriage. He pulled open its door—
BANG!!
Inside...Lady Nyra flinched violently; her entire body trembled. Tears had already filled her frightened eyes. The moment she recognized him...her voice broke.
"Uncle..." She immediately threw herself into his arms. "I-I’m scared..."
Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. Sarash’s expression instantly softened; he wrapped one arm around her protectively, his hand gently stroking the back of her head.
"...Shhh...Look at me." Nyra slowly lifted her tearful eyes.
Sarash smiled reassuringly. "As long...as your uncle is breathing...no one shall lay a finger upon you."
He gently brushed away the tears from her cheeks. "Do you understand me?"
Nyra sniffled, and then she nodded. "Y-Yes..."
Sarash smiled warmly. "That’s my brave little princess."
He carefully lifted her into his arms; his eyes immediately searched the battlefield, and then...they stopped upon Lyresaph. The silver dragon stood before the Imperial carriage like an ancient guardian, his blue eyes burned fiercely as he roared at every approaching assassin.
Sarash slowly walked closer.
"Lyresaph."
The dragon immediately turned his enormous head, and their eyes met. Sarash looked down at the frightened child clinging tightly to his robes; his smile became bittersweet as he whispered.
"She...is the only reason for me to live." A brief silence followed; his voice became quieter. "Please...protect her too."
Lyresaph blinked, then...without hesitation...the silver dragon lowered his enormous head. A deep, reassuring rumble escaped his throat.
Rrrrrrrrr...
As though answering.
Very carefully...he caught the edge of Lady Nyra’s cloak between his teeth, not enough to hurt only enough to hold.
Nyra blinked in surprise. "M-My cloak..."
Sarash chuckled softly. "Trust him."
The dragon gently lifted her into the air; she squeaked in surprise. "A-Ahh!"
Lyresaph carefully carried her across the battlefield; arrows flew around him, and steel clashed beside him. Yet...not a single attack reached the little girl.
The great dragon reached the imperial carriage; he nudged the carriage door open with his head. Then...as gently as a mother placing down her child...
He lowered Lady Nyra inside, and Iru immediately looked up. "Lady Nyra?"
Nyra blinked, still overwhelmed, and then her lips trembled, and fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "I’m scared...Iru."
Iru’s expression immediately softened; he gently took both of Nyra’s trembling hands as his voice remained calm.
"It is alright; you are safe now. Trust our Malik and trust our Malika. As long as they stand...no darkness shall reach this carriage."
Nyra slowly nodded.
"...Mm..."
Still trembling...she looked toward the embroidered cradle. Prince Zaryan and Princess Nyzara continued sleeping peacefully. Completely unaware...that beyond the carriage walls...an entire empire...was shedding blood...to protect their dreams.
Nyra quietly wiped away another tear, then...very gently...she reached toward the little princess’s tiny hand. "I’ll protect you too."
Though her own hands were trembling...her promise...never did and then---
THUD!!
A black serpent body slammed into the sandstone road. Lord Sharukh calmly walked forward; his curved blade moved only once, one clean arc and one clean death.
"You shouldn’t have entered the empire...even if you had a chance to."
At the center of the battlefield...golden light exploded; high mage Arkhazunn raised both hands toward the heavens. Ancient runes surrounded him; his robes danced wildly beneath the violent winds.
BOOOOOOM!!
Massive golden pillars with thorns erupted from beneath the desert. Several Black Serpents screamed as they were hurled high into the sky, while others were stabbed, and their bodies hung on the wall like a lizard.
Others were crushed beneath the sacred light, yet...more emerged, again, again, again.
"As if..." Arkhazunn narrowed his eyes. "The desert itself is birthing them, or they are using their corrupted powers like Slyvarakh."
Lady Arinaya flipped gracefully through the battlefield; twin daggers flashed. One assassin reached toward her, and he was too slow.
SLASH!!
Another attempted to strike from behind; she never looked back, her second dagger buried itself inside his throat, and without stopping...she whispered calmly, "You should’ve remained beneath the sand."
Duke Aren fought beside the Royal Knights; his enormous sword cleaved through another Black Serpent, and blood sprayed across the desert. He never slowed and never hesitated.
He had once defended the emperor; today...he defended his grandchildren. Inside the Imperial carriage...Prince Zaryan stirred. Princess Nyzara softly frowned in her sleep.
The sounds of war surrounded them, yet...neither cried. Levin glanced toward the twins from the window.
His expression softened for only a heartbeat and then...
SHATTER!!
The opposite carriage window exploded inward; three Black Serpents burst through, straight toward the children.
Lady Nyra and Iru gasped. "My Malika—!"
Levin moved first.
SHIIIING!!
His sword left its sheath; the first assassin never even saw him.
SLASH!!
His body collapsed before reaching the cradle, the second thrust being a poisoned dagger. Levin twisted sideways.
CLANG!!
Steel screamed against steel, their blades locked; the assassin smiled beneath his mask. "Die."
Levin’s blue eyes remained cold. "Foolish."
CRACK!!
His knee shattered the assassin’s ribs; a reverse slash immediately followed, and the head rolled across the carriage floor. The third assassin tried to leap directly toward Iru before Levin could reach—
ROOOOOAR!!
Lyresaph exploded forward; the silver dragon crashed into the assassin with unbelievable force, his claws tearing through the black serpent, and his tail slammed the attacker into the carriage wall.
BOOOOOOM!!
Wood splintered everywhere. Asha immediately followed; the enormous tiger locked her jaws around another attacker’s arm.
CRUNCH!!
Bones shattered instantly; the assassin screamed, only once. Asha never released him; Levin looked toward them, and his voice rang through the carriage.
"Protect them!" Blue eyes blazed with absolute authority. "No matter who comes...no matter how many come...no one touches my children."
Lyresaph roared. Asha answered with another thunderous growl; neither creature moved from the twins.
Outside...Zeramet finally stopped walking, and around him...nearly fifty Black Serpents lay motionless upon the sand; blood dripped from his silver tail, his robes had become stained crimson, and his golden eyes slowly lifted.
Something...was wrong.
The attacks had become strangely coordinated—too coordinated. The remaining Black Serpents were no longer trying to kill him.
They were...deliberately drawing him farther away from the imperial carriage; his expression darkened.
"A diversion."
The realization struck immediately; his pupils narrowed. "They’re after—"
Before he could finish—
BOOOOOOOOM!!
The ground beneath the imperial carriage erupted, not from outside but from underneath. The entire carriage was thrown violently into the air, horses screamed, and royal knights were blasted backward; sand swallowed everything.
"THE MALIKA!!" Varesh shouted. "THE CHILDREN!!"
Raevahn immediately turned, his heart...stopped. The Imperial carriage...had disappeared and was swallowed by an enormous cloud of sand and shattered stone.
Silence.
A deadly...crushing silence and one heartbeat passed.
Then—
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH—!!"
The desperate cry of a newborn echoed from within the storm. Prince Zaryan, the cry pierced through the battlefield louder than any blade, and every serpent froze.
Zeramet’s golden eyes widened. "Consort!"
BOOOOOOM!!
His enormous silver body shot across the battlefield like a bolt of lightning. Varesh...Sarash...Duke Aren...Arkhazunn...Lady Arinaya...Raevahn...Zyvera, every one of them rushed toward the collapsing ground.
The storm of sand slowly began settling, little by little... The destruction became visible, and an enormous crater...had opened beneath the Imperial carriage, deep, far too deep.
The carriage itself...had almost disappeared into the abyss. Yet...it had stopped, not because of chance, not because of luck but because...a gigantic silver tail had wrapped itself around the carriage.
Lyresaph.
The dragon’s claws dug deep into the collapsing earth; every muscle across his enormous body trembled beneath, and his blue eyes burnt with determination.
"ROOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR—!!"
With one final surge of strength—
CRAAAAAAAAKKKKK!!
The earth shattered, slowly... very slowly... Lyresaph pulled the carriage back toward the surface; the wooden wheels scraped violently against broken stone.
Until—
THUD!!
The carriage landed safely upon the road, and then silence.
Then—
"...Agh..."
A weak groan echoed from below. Zeramet froze, his heart tightening. "Consort."
The carriage...had not fallen alone beneath it...Half-buried beneath broken stone and shattered wood...lay Levin, blood slowly trickling from the side of his forehead as two enormous horses lay dead upon him.
His left leg remained trapped beneath horses. Fresh blood soaked the stone beneath him; without thinking, Zeramet immediately returned to his full serpent form, his enormous silver tail carefully coiled beneath the broken wreckage.
Then—
LIFT!!
The shattered remains rose effortlessly, his coil gently wrapped around Levin, careful, protective, and almost afraid...of hurting him further.
Zeramet slowly laid him upon the sand; his human form returned immediately. He dropped to both knees beside Levin; golden eyes searched every wound.
His voice shook as his trembling hands gently cupped Levin’s face.
"Consort...look at me. Are you hurt badly?"
Levin struggled to breathe; his chest rose unevenly. He forced himself to smile.
"Sirrash’s Heart..." His fingers weakly touched the pendant hidden beneath his robes.
"...It..."
He coughed.
"Stopped the shattered glass...before it pierced my heart."
Another painful breath escaped him.
"But..." His blue eyes immediately searched the carriage. "Our children..."
Silence, and everyone turned; the carriage door remained closed, and only one sound escaped from within.
"WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH—!!"
Prince Zaryan was still crying. Duke Aren immediately rushed forward; he threw open the carriage door.
BANG!!
Then...he stopped completely, and his face slowly lost all color; everyone looked toward him.
"Father?" Levin’s voice trembled.
Duke Aren couldn’t answer; he simply stared. Inside...Lady Nyra sat frozen. Princess Nyzara remained tightly wrapped against her chest; the little princess blinked quietly, confused and unhurt.
Beside her...Iru desperately held Prince Zaryan; the little prince cried with all the strength his tiny lungs possessed.
"WAAAAAAHHHHHH—!!"
Iru himself trembled uncontrollably; tears streamed down his cheeks. He wasn’t looking at the children; he was looking...above them.
A single drop, warm and crimson...fell.
DRIP.
It landed softly upon Prince Zaryan’s tiny cheek; another followed.
DRIP.
Levin’s breathing stopped, his eyes slowly lifted, and above the twins...covering them completely with her own body... Lay Asha.
The great tiger hadn’t moved, not once; her massive body remained stretched across the carriage, shielding the children from every shard of shattered wood and glasses.
Every piece of falling stone, every fragment of glass, and blood slowly dripped from countless wounds covering her back.
The once beautiful fur...had become stained deep crimson. Levin’s lips parted; his voice...barely existed.
"A...Asha..."
Prince Zaryan continued crying beneath her. Princess Nyzara quietly reached one tiny hand toward the familiar fur, completely unaware.
Lady Nyra’s shoulders shook violently; fresh tears blurred her vision.
"M-Malika..." She couldn’t stop trembling, and her voice completely broke. "Asha...she..."
Silence.
No one finished the sentence; no one dared to. The battlefield...which moments before had roared with steel and blood...had become utterly heartbreaking.
Silent.
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