Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

The plan to attack at midnight meant the soldiers hadn't set up a proper camp. Instead, they waited near newly made fireplaces, eating the food they had brought with them. Mostly meat and fruits found within the forest sustained them, providing energy for the nearing war.

Following the king's orders, preparations didn't take long. Within an hour, the cavalry had taken its place at the forefront, with the barbarians leading the infantry right behind. Henry, Olaro, Leier, and the two mages spearheaded the army.

"Olaro, you grab one of them, I will take the other" - Henry commanded, swiftly pulling one of the mages onto his horse. Olaro did the same, pulling the second mage onto his own mount. Seeing this, Leier tried to protest - "My Liege, I should be the one going there!" - She couldn't understand why the king was putting himself in danger again, especially with thousands of soldiers willing to die for him. The king understood her worries, but could do nothing about it.

"Among everyone here, I am the strongest" - Henry explained, grabbing the reins tightly, making sure that it was rightly set - "Trust me, if there was someone as powerful as Olaro here, I would gladly stand back. But right now, we need to be fast and subdue the soldiers up there. And since you specialize in stealth, you are not the best for this job. You will be exposed when up there, where you can't easily hide your movements, especially during the daytime."

At these words, Leier gritted her teeth - "I can do it, my liege! I have been training. I can do it" - she said, helplessly trying to convince him once again, but Henry shook his head, looking deeply into her blue eye.

"This is not open to discussion. Be ready to lead the others as soon as the gates open. I need you here to lead them." - His tone was firm and unyielding.

Leier stood silent for a brief moment, then bowed her head - "I will obey" - she said, gritting her fists, understanding she could not change the king's decision. Again, she felt useless and unable to help the king.

Henry nodded his head, satisfied with the response. Right now, he had something more important to do than to be a passive king. He had to act.

"Olaro!" Henry called "Where is Zahra?" "She is with the infantry at the back of the army" - Olaro pointed towards the back, finally helping the mage get comfortable on the horse - "As you suggested, I placed her with the new recruits to see if she has the qualities of a leader." "Good work!" - Henry said - "I hope she will show what I am looking for." - He had asked his generals, who were closer to the army, to find new talents to develop. He already knew Zahra had talent, but he needed to test her.

"Are you ready?" The king asked the mage sitting with him. The mage hesitantly nodded, his face still swollen from Olaro's beating. He was afraid, but the aura of the man behind him spread some comfort into his soul, making his heartbeat slow down and calming his nerves. He was ready to do his part.

Satisfied with the response, Henry turned to Leier again - "Can you fetch me a shield?" - The silver-haired woman didn't hesitate. She grabbed her own shield from her horse and handed it to the king.

"Thanks! Although I am not familiar with shields, but this one is quite good" - Henry said, feeling its weight. It had a good balance and fit well in his hands, as if it was personally made for him.

"You are welcome, my liege" - Leier replied, a happy smile on her lips. She had made this shield for the king herself, fearing he might need to defend himself in a tough situation. And, it really became useful.

"I will return it to you when this is all finished" - Henry said, flicking the reins, not wishing to waste any more time and prompting the horse to bolt forward - "I am counting on you, Leier!" he shouted, leaving those words behind.

Olaro followed right behind his king. As they left the cover of the trees and dashed towards the gates, Henry and Olaro protected themselves and the mages with their shields, expecting arrows to rain down on them. However, not a single arrow appeared in the sky. Still, the duo didn't let their guard down and kept their shields raised, ready to defend themselves. The horses galloped at full speed, their giant sizes creating an imposing and almost fearful image as a long and straight line was created on the snow behind them. When they were really close to the gates - "It's finished, Your Highness!" - the mage yelled, a green glowing aura slightly covering their hands. At those words, Henry and Olaro immediately pulled the reins as hard as they could, making the horses suddenly decelerate and almost stop. They immediately threw their shields away and jumped up, using the horses as platforms. Thankfully, their powerful bodies withstood the impact and didn't break any bones. Despite their fear and unfamiliarity with horses, the two mages stayed calm, enough to cast their spell.

In the air, Henry and Olaro felt themselves rapidly slowing down and being pulled back to the ground. Suddenly they felt something pushing them upwards like an invisible hand pushing them up. It was the wind, bringing them towards their destiny. It pushed them until they finally landed on the desolate walls of Rusra.

Seeing their success, the mages on the ground exchanged a victorious but tired smile before passing out on top of the horses, which intelligently returned towards the army. Luckily, no arrows came towards these two unconscious people.

On top of the walls, Olaro and Henry, ready to fight their way to the gates, stopped in shock at the sight of the walls devoid of any life or line of defense. There wasn't a single soldier defending it, like a building inhabited by ghosts.

"Is this a trap, my liege?" - Olaro couldn't help but ask, his eyes nervously awaiting for someone to jump at them.

Henry looked around. "No, something must have happened!" he couldn't understand why this situation was happening. Nobody would be dumb enough to let an enemy invade their castle so easily.

Suddenly, they heard screams coming from within the city—desperate and painful screams that seemed to come from deep within the confines of hell.

"You go open the gates. I will check it," Henry commanded."