Chapter 19: Wolves at Midnight [1]

The dark miasma slowly crept out from the forest depths. It slithered in silence towards the village. The night guards shuddered. The creepy tendrils of darkness stiffened their nerves. The malice within had them scowling.

The grasses the miasma passed immediately turned into dry stalks. A small swarm of insects rushed towards the old walls, entering the village as if they were running from a predator. It was a bad omen. The guards immediately rang the bells. Calamity had set its eyes on the village. Their primal instinct to survive pricked their skins. Before they even knew it, their feet had involuntarily shuffled away. Run. Farther the better.

The first hour had already passed since Knight Levo called for the evacuation.

After hearing the ringing bells, the village chief paled and his steps rushed. Time was running out.

The old man’s shouts woke up the villagers from their deep slumber. The village head shared the calamity that was coming to the village. The message of their new lord, emphasizing that it was a strict command, not a request. Upon receiving the order, the villagers of Lother scrambled to pick up what they could bring.

The already informed villagers rushed out, screaming at the top of their lungs, announcing the news. They shook each nook and cranny of the village.

The news about the Death wolves spread throughout the village like a wildfire in the middle of summer heat. Though the screams awakened the still half-asleep villagers, the suddenness of the events still left a lot of villagers dumbfounded. Only the rushing soldiers, along with their galloping horses, awakened them from the stupor. Danger.

The smart ones packed up only the important things—food, water, and some necessities. Meanwhile, the dumb ones dragged everything they could bring. That earned them a cussing and grumbles from the village elders.

The dreadful news didn’t sink into most of the villagers. After all, most villagers lacked knowledge. They only knew some folk tales and descriptions of local monsters.

In this village, knowing things from the nearby towns was already worth bragging about.

Still, the villagers followed the leadership of the old village chief. They knew the chief for years. The village chief would never joke about something dangerous.

Bah! The thick streaks of wrinkles in his forehead would attest to it. He takes every issue to heart!

The villagers brought sacks filled with their important possession—food, water, and coins. The villagers marched away from their homes. They walked towards the Knight’s Manor before going to the Barony of Gisvold as ordered by the knight.

On their way, the village chief stopped at the Knight’s manor, immediately entering the manor.

Meanwhile, the villagers saw hundreds of stiff-faced soldiers standing outside. They gazed at the doors of the Knight’s renovated manor. After seeing the soldiers, the villagers’ doubts went away. The clanking swords and shields sent them to their feet. The soldiers emitted a sharp aura, making the villagers step backward.

The news about the Death wolves strung the soldiers in high tension. No laughs or murmurs echoed. They were all checking their weapons and armors. They tinkered with their equipment, assuring they wouldn’t leave any gaps in their armaments.

It would be a great regret to die in battle because of faulty equipment. The veterans were even testing their weapons, swinging their swords to warm them up.

The Madam had drilled them with a snappy poem she’d created.

A chipped blade might break amid the combat,
A weak bowstring might snap like a dirty slut,
If you don’t take care of your dear weapons,
You’ll bleed like a lady with no tampons.

With no weapons to protect you. You’ll give the enemy a chance to dice you up. She said that even before battles, you could decide your fate. Whether you die or your enemy dies is all in your hands.

Under the guidance of the Madam, the soldiers learned to check their weapons even before any battles start.

Well, the madam’s poem had saved lives. Maybe it would save their lives too.

…

The minutes trickled, the night turning a shade deeper. It was already midnight. The dark clouds veiled the beauty of the three moons and the stars. The burning torches illuminated the villagers’ way to Gisvold.

Standing lamps shone brightly around the lord’s manor. In the cities and towns, they call the lamps forged torches. These forge torches lit up the manor. A shining beacon in the night.

Suddenly…

The sounds of faint howls entered everyone’s ears.

Another series of disturbing howls echoed throughout the entire village of Lother. Everyone who heard the howls froze. Petrified. It made their blood curl. Dread had twisted their expression.

The villagers gasped and had themselves rooted. The creeping horror brought by the howls stunned them. Those eerie howls would never come from ordinary wolves. It was from a ferocious beast! The hairs on their arms stood like an army, sending warnings to their every nerve.

The children of the villagers cried and wailed after hearing the scary howls. The parents all looked at the forest, their faces pale. They hugged their kids, inching nearer towards the soldiers. Even the older villagers couldn’t help but stagger. Some even fell butt first while wetting their pants. No one dared to laugh.

The wolf howls sounded like screeches and shrieks in the ears of the villagers. It was scathing, affecting the emotions of the villagers, making them panic.

The strong-hearted individuals knew the howls were born out of arrogance. It also carried bloodthirst and malice. Not a warning, but pure disdain.

“Soldiers!”

Following the howls, a lion-like roar then boomed. It swept the fears of everyone who heard it, waking everyone from their stupor. The soldiers straightened their backs. The clanking metal and iron filed the surroundings as the soldiers looked at Levo with respect.

The villagers rubbed their eyes, thinking that they might still be dreaming. They wished what they heard was only a dream. The villagers soon saw the silhouette of the valiant knight. They also glimpsed a unique crimson-colored streak enshrouding the knight.

In a wink, the crimson streaks vanished. The villagers rubbed their eyes again, confused.

Standing behind the knight were his close confidants and trusted aides. Individuals who had the full trust of the knight. Under the luminescence of the torches, the villagers saw the village chief. He was talking to an armored, sun-kissed man.

The man was quite old. His lengthy white hair and well-groomed stubble served as proof. Despite that, you could also tell that the man’s body enshrouded strength and power. After he saw the villagers looking at him, he cracked a smile and waved like a good-natured grandpa.

“Assemble!”

The hundreds of soldiers shuffled into their formation in haste. They zigzagged with each other until they formed a mysterious formation. A unique magical rhythm enclosed the disordered movement of the soldiers. The on-looking villagers scratched their heads in confusion.

They thought the soldiers would bump into each other. Despite the messy movements that unfolded before their eyes, not one had bumped against each other.

Soon enough, the eyes of some villagers lit up. They saw chaotic movement slowing down. Then it turned neat like everything had set itself in the perfect place.

Their initial impression of the soldiers as the knight’s men rose a few notches. It changed and zoomed from ordinary soldiers to elite warriors in a blink of an eye. They looked like heroes.

The eyes of the young village ladies shone in delight. They saw opportunities for marriage among the young soldiers. Not knowing that a few of these men might not even see tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the eyes of the village youth twinkled. They wished they were part of this army. Not knowing the hardships they must undergo first. They didn’t know the soldiers in front of them had put time, blood, and sweat to achieve this level.

If these young ones thought they could become a soldier of the knight with little practice. Then they couldn’t be more wrong.

Unfortunately, their time with their sweet fantasies ended fast. The knight roared like a lion. “Sephtarion! Bose! Lead the villagers away now!”

The oldies strode towards Knight Levo. They kneeled. Their right hand formed a fist as it laid into their chest. The two then spoke. “Yes, Lord!”

“Away with them!”

They stood up and saluted. They walked to the villagers, arranging their march to avoid stampedes. Guiding them on what to do to avoid any accidents. After all, they had over 500 villagers to evacuate. Without someone authoritative to lead, this crowd would be a source of trouble.

“Move one at a time, arrange your baggage, assist the elderly on the horse wagons.” The experience of the village chief bloomed despite his old age. He moved like he was managing the delivery of goods. Yes, just like his good old days as a merchant’s assistant.

Madam Annis’ eyes shown after seeing this. Her lips arched.

It seemed the old chief would have more jobs coming his way. Whether he wanted the job… or not.