Chapter 124: Real mission
Rhys felt a flicker of surprise. He had expected hesitation, perhaps a moment of pity for the man who had, in a twisted way, been a part of her childhood.
But there was nothing. Only a cold, hard finality. He gave a slight nod.
He took a single step forward. Austin looked up, his eyes wide with a new wave of terror as he saw Rhys approach.
He let go of Elara’s dress and tried to scramble backward, but his broken body would not obey.
Rhys raised his hand.
He did not use his sword. He did not need it. The small, thin blade of the Twilight Edge, a silent construct of pure blackness, formed in his palm.
He flicked his wrist.
The shadow blade shot forward. It did not make a sound as it cut through the air. It touched Austin’s forehead.
There was no sound of impact. There was no blood. There was only a brilliant, silent flash of pure white light that erupted from the old steward’s head.
When the light faded, Austin’s body fell to the ground, limp and lifeless. His eyes were still open, but they were empty, all thought and fear erased from them forever.
The clearing was silent now, except for the crackling of the burning tents.
The few surviving retainers, who had been hiding behind the wrecked carriage, stared at the scene.
They had just watched their princess, the last hope of their house, order the execution of a man they had known for years.
And they had watched her mysterious guard carry it out with an impossible, terrifying power.
Their loyalty was now mixed with primal fear.
Rhys turned his attention to them. There were only four of them left. Two were older, grizzled men who looked like they had seen their share of battles.
Two were younger, a boy and a girl, both barely teenagers, their faces pale with shock.
They were a liability. They were witnesses. He looked at Emma, a silent question in his eyes.
Emma understood. She looked at the last remnants of her house, the four people who had followed her out of a misguided sense of loyalty.
"You have served House Lyra with honor," she said, her voice clear and formal, but without any warmth. "Your duty is now complete."
The oldest of the retainers, a man with a scarred face, stepped forward.
"But, Your Highness," he said, his voice rough. "We swore an oath. We will follow you to the end."
"There is no ’end’ for you to follow," Rhys interjected, his voice flat and cold.
"The mission has changed. You cannot come with us. You will only slow us down and get yourselves killed."
He looked at the small, terrified group. "Your choice is simple," he continued, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"You can try to return to the civilized lands. The Crimson Sun family may or may not hunt you down. Or, you can disappear into this forest and try to survive on your own. Either way, you are no longer our concern."
The retainers looked at each other, their faces a mixture of confusion and despair.
They had come here to serve their princess, and now they were being cast aside. But they had seen Rhys’s power. They knew arguing was pointless.
"We will take our chances in the wild," the scarred retainer finally said, his voice full of a weary resignation. He gave a final, deep bow to Emma. "May your path be safe, Your Highness."
The four of them gathered their few belongings and, without another word, disappeared into the dark shadows of the Glimmerwood Forest.
Rhys and Emma were now truly alone, standing in the middle of a burning camp, surrounded by the dead.
The fire from the tents cast long, dancing shadows, making it seem as if the corpses were still moving.
Rhys walked over to the wreckage of the carriage. It had been caught in the fire, and its dark wood was now charred and smoking.
It was useless. Their only mode of transportation was gone.
He found the two Horned Horses. They had been tethered a safe distance from the camp and were uninjured, though they were restless from the smell of fire and blood.
He untied them, his movements calm and efficient.
"We have to ride," he said, his voice practical. "We cannot stay here."
He swung himself onto the back of one of the horses. It was a large, powerful beast, and he sat on its back with an easy confidence.
He looked at Emma. She was still standing in the middle of the clearing, looking at the body of Austin.
"Your Highness," he called out. "We need to go."
She looked up, her green eyes seeming to focus for the first time since she had given the order to kill her steward.
She walked over to the second horse and, with a grace that surprised him, mounted it.
"There is a problem," he said, looking from his horse to hers. "These are not riding horses. They are meant for pulling a carriage. They have no proper saddles. And we have a long journey ahead. It will be faster if we ride one beast and let the other run free to save its stamina."
Emma looked at him, then at the single, bare-backed horse he was sitting on.
She understood his meaning. She hesitated for a moment. She was a princess. She was not used to such... closeness.
"I will not be a burden," she said, her voice a little stiff. She dismounted her horse and walked over to his.
Rhys did not offer her a hand. He simply waited. She took a deep breath and, with a surprising agility, pulled herself up onto the horse’s back, settling in behind him.
He felt the slight weight of her body against his back. He felt the light touch of her hands as she hesitantly held onto his waist for balance.
He could smell the faint, clean scent of the herbs she had used for her tea.
He flicked the reins, and the Horned Horse began to move, its powerful legs carrying them away from the burning camp and deeper into the dark forest.
They rode in silence for a long time. The only sounds were the steady clopping of the horse’s hooves and the chirping of night insects.
The moon came out from behind the clouds, casting a pale, silver light through the trees.
Rhys was focused on the path ahead, but his mind was on the woman sitting behind him. He had questions. He needed answers.
"What is the real mission, Your Highness?" he asked, breaking the silence. His voice was a low rumble, barely audible above the sound of their travel.
He felt her stiffen slightly behind him. "I told you," she said. "A journey to the ruins of my ancestral home."
"That is a lie," Rhys said, his voice flat. "That story was for the retainers, for the assassins. A reason to lure them into a trap. But I am not one of them. I am your guard. If I am to protect you, I need to know the truth."
She was silent for a long time. He thought she would not answer. He could feel the tension in her body, the war of thoughts happening in her mind.
"The ruins are real," she finally said, her voice a quiet whisper against his back.
"But there is no treasure there. No lost artifact." She took a deep breath.
"There is a door. A hidden escape route. A long-forgotten portal my ancestors built that leads deep into the Unclaimed Territories, far from the reach of the great sects.
My plan was never to rebuild my house. It was to escape. To start a new life, free from the games of the powerful."
Rhys listened, his expression unchanging. Her story made a cold, logical sense.
She was a hunted animal, and she was looking for a new forest to hide in. Her goal aligned perfectly with his own.
But there were few pieces missing. Rhys said nothing as he listened her.
"My father," she continued, her voice now full of a cold, bitter anger, "is a coward. He sold his legacy, his honor, and his own daughter for a comfortable life. The Crimson Sun family is a pack of greedy wolves who want to use me as a political tool.
This world, the world of the great sects and families, it is a cage. The portal is my only key."
"And what will you do in the Unclaimed Territories?" Rhys asked. "It is a lawless land, full of monsters and dangers."
"I will survive," she said, and for the first time, he heard a note of absolute, unyielding will in her voice.
"I will find a quiet corner of that wild land, and I will build a new life for myself, a life where I am not a princess, not a prize, just... a person."
Rhys was silent for a moment, processing her words.
"This is no longer a simple escort mission," he said, his voice a low rumble. "This is an alliance. I will help you get to your portal. In return, you will share whatever knowledge your family has about the Unclaimed Territories. Maps, beast locations, ruins... I want everything."
He felt her relax against him, a small, almost imperceptible sigh escaping her lips. He felt her hands on his waist hold on a little tighter.
"I agree," she said, and he heard a genuine, unguarded emotion in her voice. It was relief.
"And i want to know about the Seal.."
Her grip on him tightened.