Caden heard Tom's chatter even in his dreams, he kept repeating how excited he was, but then something completely different came into his head. It was Alger, the dark cult leader.
"Caden... Caden. He will grow strong and honest, I see it in his eyes," an unknown female voice continued.
"Oh, Alger, he's after you. Too bad he must..."
"Wardens! The wardens are here!" another voice shouted.
"Gabriela, no...! No!" Alger shouted.
Caden woke up from a dream all sweaty and breathing quickly.
"What's up? A bad dream? It's okay, Cade, we're safe," Tom reassured him.
As soon as he spoke, Mormir shouted, "Wardens! The wardens are here! Get into the battle stances!"
Caden took his sword and ran to Mormir.
The wardens were the ones Alger fought, armed with rifles. However, the combined forces of Caden and Mormir did not allow a single bullet to pass. They ran into the battle again.
"Start it! We'll fry them with their own invention!" Mormir exclaimed, and the lightning began to lash again from the trees.
"Enough!" Mormir shouted as all the wardens were laying in cramps on the ground.
"It didn't kill all of them. Most of our mages didn't have such luck," Mormir said.
"What do we do with them?" Caden asked.
"What do you think? Kill them!" Mormir ordered.
"Wait! They can give us some information," Caden stopped him.
"You're right. Bring their commander to me, kill the others!" Mormir replied.
The mages brought the captain of the wardens to Caden and Mormir.
"How many of your soldiers are around?" Mormir asked.
"Haha, thousands, you ugly monster!" the captain of the wardens spat on him.
"See? It was useless…" Mormir said, preparing to kill the captain.
"Wait!" Caden stopped him.
"What again?"
"He can serve us in negotiations. Didn't they take any of your commanders?"
"Boy, you're not stupid. You're after your dad after all!" Mormir laughed.
"What do you mean, after dad?" Caden paused.
"Well, after Alger. Or... you haven't got it yet?" Mormir's voice lowered as he noticed Caden's expression.
"Alger was our father?" Stephan stepped forward.
"Yes," Mormir replied.
"And you are telling us just like that?!" Caden went angry.
"And how else should I tell you?" Mormir didn't understand.
Both Caden and Stephan were open-mouthed.
"Em... well. I'll let you... take it over somehow in my head," Mormir dragged the captain of the wardens away.
“My father killed my stepfather. After what I almost killed him," Caden said to himself loudly.
Tears began to flow from Stephan's eyes.
"Stephan, you won't cry, would you?" Caden smiled.
Stephan embraced him.
"That'll be alright... brother," Caden returned his embrace, still not fully understanding what was going on.
"What's up, boys? Did the branch stab you in the eye?" Cassandra laughed at them.
"You... you knew about it?" Stephan asked angrily.
"Knew about what?" Cassandra didn't understand.
"That... that Alger was my and Caden's father."
"He was, in a way, the father of all of us, Steph. Of all convicted and cast off by the outside world," Cassandra said poetically.
"But he was my real father!" Stephan called.
"Well... I didn't know that. Perhaps it would explain why he risked so much by attacking those... magic schools," Cassandra replied in confusion. "Guys, Alger loved us all, until just one of the mages would be alive, he will live as well," Cassandra stepped forward. "Emm... Can I get closer to you without you strangling me with your power again, right?" Cassandra asked.
"What!?" Stephan shouted uncomprehendingly, freeing himself from Caden's embrace.
"It's okay, it's a long story. Now you can... Cassandra," Caden smiled.
"And I apologize for Merrill. I... did not want anything bad to happen to him, he should have accepted it sooner," Cassandra apologized.
"You better apologize to him," Caden said with a grin.
"Yes, I should," Cassandra said.
"So... have you somehow... gotten it into your heads? We really should go. The wardens will send soldiers from all over the Green Grove as soon as they can," Mormir came to them.
"Yes, we'll go," Stephan nodded.
They all took weapons, and together with the dark elves, they marched on.
"This road is familiar to me," after several hours of travel, Caden spoke.
"It leads to a small town, I think it's called Oakdome," Cassandra said.
"What? No..." Caden rode to Mormir on horseback.
"Mormir, what do we do with the city we're heading for?"
"We'll burn it to ashes, Caden. It will burn like a torch for Alger!" Mormir replied with pride.
"Well... wouldn't it be better to just occupy the city? We can settle dark elves in it," Caden suggested.
"I don't know if they want to live there," Mormir said.
"It will be temporarily after all, won't it?" Caden smiled.
"Um... Caden, why do you care so much about it?"
"Give me and Merill half an hour, and we'll get the city for you without a single victim on our side," Caden said.
"Oh... well. Stop! We'll rest here for a moment," Mormir ordered.
"Thank you," Caden whispered, took Merill with him, and they rushed to the city on horses at full speed. The city, to which Caden swore allegiance and protection now stands in his way, and it is up to him and Merill, whether residents remain unharmed, or the city turns into dust.
"Caden? Merill? What... what are you doing here?" the captain of the city guard greeted them with a smile.
"We have no time to explain, the city has to capitulate!" Caden told him.
"W-what? And to whom?" the captain replied uncomprehendingly.
"Captain Edmonton, something that you had never fought so far will rush to the city. If you stand against it, the whole city will turn into ashes and everyone will die here!" Merill shouted at him.
"Ah... but Merill you know yourself that it's not me, who has this authority."
"He's right! Caden, the wardens and the mayor will never allow the city to surrender. And not at all... to them…" Merill said.
"You know what we need to do, Merill... we have no choice. Will you take the mayor?" Caden asked.
"Yes... I'll take the mayor," Merill rushed his horse towards the town hall.
"Caden! I don't know what you're doing, but please..." the captain pleaded.
"Nothing will happen to anyone innocent, captain. Just don't get in our way," Caden told him and went to the guardhouse of the wardens.
Caden jumped off the horse in front of the guardhouse and drew his sword.
"Mage! There is a magician in the city!" Caden shouted, and two wardens ran out of the guardhouse.
"What? Where?"
"Here," Caden said, the wardens looked at each other uncomprehendingly and rushed to Caden.
Caden killed them with two elegant swings of his sword.
A warden who brought Caden to the city came out of the guardhouse.
"Caden... I remember the day when you begged to become a warden. What happened to you?!"
"So you don't know? Don't make an idiot out of me. What have you done with Edward?" Caden exclaimed, angrily.
"Edward... do you mean the one who tried to cover you? You killed him, remember? You killed him the moment you made him lie to the hunters!"
"You... you killed him?!" Caden shouted and rushed into the battle with the warden. He was much more experienced than the two before him.
"Show me your ability, Caden! It doesn't work, huh?!" the warden laughed.
"Are you sure about that?" Caden smiled and lifted two swords of fallen wardens into the air with his power.
"What... what is that?" the warden took the vial and threw it at Caden.
"And this was supposed to be what?" Caden asked.
After the warden saw the swords still levitating in the air he tried to flee but was stopped by Caden's power. Caden lifted him up in the air and began to choke him when Amelia appeared out of nowhere. "Caden!! What are you doing?!" Amelia screamed.
"Get out of here, Amelia!" Caden shouted.
"Look at what you've become! You're a murderer... You can't kill him! He brought us here!" Amelia cried.
Caden turned to her.
"Amelia I..." At that moment the warden pulled a one-handed crossbow from under his coat and shot Caden in the leg. Caden released him from his power. The warden dropped to the ground, stood up and ran while shouting, "Alarm!" Alarm!"
Amelia rushed to Caden. "Cade, are you okay?"
"I'm okay. Oh, shit!" Caden saw the ongoing city guard. Caden quickly stood on his feet.
"Caden, don't hurt them!" Amelia pleaded.
"Only if they don't give me another choice. And get out of here, Amelia!" Caden shouted.
Guards with spears assembled before Caden. "What the... is it Caden?" they muttered.
"Hah, what are you going to do now?" the warden came in front of them.
"This," Caden raised all their spears and swords in the air.
"Give up and you will be spared. Please do it," Caden proclaimed.
All the officers began to raise their hands.
"What are you doing?! Traitors! The warden pulled out a crossbow and aimed at one of the officers, Caden sent a spear into his stomach.
"Go, and tell every armed person to surrender to the arrivals. I'm doing it for your good, guys, believe me. There are more ones like me, and if you can't defeat me... think of the innocent…" Caden said, and the officers ran in all directions.
"You, wait! Are there any more wardens?" Caden asked the officer.
"Yeah there are... hunters, they're in the pub."
"Thank you, officer," Caden smiled, tossed the weapons into a pile, and headed for the pub.
Hunters with rifles were standing in front of the pub, Amelia was kneeling in front of them. "Oh, hi, Caden. Perhaps you can stop the arrow, but can you stop a bullet from this distance?" the hunter laughed, and two of them put the rifles in front of Amelia's head.
"If you want to live, lay down your weapons and leave," Caden said calmly.
"This region is ours, and no one like you will command us here, Caden. You will surrender and you will go back to the school of magic!" the hunter shouted.
"Do you mean that destroyed building? Why would I do that?" Caden smiled.
"W-what?" the hunter stopped.
"Hey, hunters! There's a bigger booty for you!" Merill called from afar, and all the hunters looked at him. Caden immediately picked their rifles with his power.
"What the heck?!"
"Get out of here and tell everyone that Oakdome is under the domination of a dark cult!" Caden shouted.
"This is not going to end like this..." one of the hunters said before taking his feet on his shoulders and disappearing from the city.
"What about the mayor?" Caden asked.
"He gave up quite quickly, he'll be probably welcoming them," Merill laughed.
"Amie, are you all right?" Caden helped her up.
"Can you tell me... What the fuck is going on here, by all the Saints?!!" Amelia shouted.
"Emm... we will explain that to you later. First, we have to go somewhere," Caden replied nervously.
"I'll tell them myself, you can..."
"Shut up, Merill!" Caden stopped him and went to the horses, then they reached Mormir and announced that the city had surrendered.
Crowds of mages and dark elves began to flow into the city.
"Citizens of Oakdome! Don't worry, nothing will happen to any of you. The city has just been taken over by the cult of darkness!" Mormir called.466Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLr1z3wZ0MF
