Attack (1)
A Few Days Earlier
Alkrevas was sitting at his temporary desk, eyes closed. A stack of reports on the impact of the Goblin attacks lay on the table. It was late, and he should have returned to his room to rest, but he couldn’t close his eyes, as there was too much work to be done. At the same time, the anxiety and tightness in his chest from being separated from his soulmate for so long weighed heavily on him. He let out a frustrated sigh and opened his eyes, raising his hand lazily to summon his magic, a glowing white and golden light, and began playing with it.
Alkrevas sighed again, clenched his fist, and made his magic vanish instantly before straightening up. He grabbed one of the reports on his right side and carefully read the words on the paper. He tried his best to concentrate, but the image of Luna-her touch, her body, and her scent-kept spinning in his mind.
Should I use teleportation magic to visit Luna in Veniam Duchy? he wondered. He could enter Luna’s dreams, but that wasn’t enough. He needed to see her in person and ensure her safety.
“Meet our mate! We must meet our mate! I can’t stay separated from her any longer, mortal! Use your magic now! What’s the point of having magic if you don’t use it?”
Alkrevas rolled his eyes in annoyance as he heard Norris, his wolf spirit, whining and shouting inside his head. He stood up, placed the report back on the desk, and walked to the centre of the room. Sometimes, Alkrevas wanted to muzzle his wolf’s snout with duct tape to stop him from talking so much. He had no idea Norris couldn’t keep a secret because his wolf had always been quiet and only spoke when necessary. But look at what happened last time! Norris had easily spilt secrets to Luna, sneaking around and revealing everything Alkrevas had hidden. Now, Alkrevas was sure Luna would use Norris to extract any information he was reluctant to share.
“I’m just loyal to our mate!”
Shut up, you pesky wolf!
Norris just snorted and turned his back, wagging his tail arrogantly. Their connection cut off, and Alkrevas felt utterly drained dealing with his wolf, who had changed since Luna entered their lives. Alkrevas closed his eyes briefly to focus on his departure coordinates, summoned his magic, and opened a dimensional door for teleportation-a circular portal-planning to visit Luna to check on her before returning.
He could see the sitting room of the Veniam Duchy castle through the portal. His heart raced with excitement at the thought of seeing Luna again. He could already imagine her surprise when he saw him standing before her. But just as he stepped one foot into the teleportation circle, Mathias called him through the mind-link.
Immediately, Alkrevas pulled his foot back and withdrew his hand, halting the mana flow and causing the teleportation magic to vanish instantly. Alkrevas let out a long, frustrated sigh and focused on Mathias. Since Mathias had left with Damon to investigate the goblins beyond the border, this was the first time he’d reached out with such urgency. Damon occasionally reported on their whereabouts and situation, but Mathias typically only mind-linked for routine reports about the goblins. This, however, was different.
“Alpha!”
“What is it, Mathias? Has something happened?” Alkrevas gazed into the distance momentarily before returning to his desk. He sat down at the edge of the desk, folded his arms over his chest, and closed his eyes slowly, his posture appearing relaxed. However, he was actually on high alert. “Did you see anything unusual?”
“Yes. Lord Damon and I are at the edge of the forest beyond the border. Alkrevas was relieved that Damon was with Mathias because, according to Damon’s reports, the goblins were so fierce to defeat that even with Damon’s dark powers, he could only render them unconscious.” At least that way, Mathias and Damon could escape unharmed, and they suffered no severe injuries that would force them to return.
“It would help if you saw this, Alpha.”
“Why? What have you seen?” Alkrevas began focusing on the pack bond between himself and Mathias, entering Mathias’s mind and gaining control of his body. Mathias’s eyes immediately turned dark red, moving swiftly around the surroundings, signalling that Alkrevas was now using his eyes. Alkrevas frowned as he observed the scene near where Mathias and Damon were hiding.
“Ahead, a group of goblins, more significant than those that attacked the border, stood guard in a complete formation. They were guarding an area that appeared to be a comprehensive clearing, and from the sounds of trickling water, it seemed there was a water source nearby. From what we’ve gathered, Alpha, that area is the goblins’ stronghold. But what’s strange is how fiercely they’re guarding it, as if there’s something important they need to protect.”
Alkrevas thought the same. Coupled with the goblins’ distinct form and behaviour-larger bodies, towering heights, long fangs, wide eyes, and elongated ears-this only increased his suspicion. To the naked eye, nothing seemed unusual about the area they were guarding. Still, Alkrevas was a wizard who could see magic and mana. Right now, he saw a dark mist rising into the air, enveloping the area, indicating that there was a source of dark magic filling the location.
“Damon. What do you think?” Alkrevas asked, speaking through Mathias’s mouth.
“As you can see, the black magic appears to fill the area, indicating that whatever they are protecting and hiding is the source of their transformation, the thing we’ve been searching for all this time.” Alkrevas was grateful that Damon had returned to health and was back to normal.
Without that man, the team he had deployed found leads. “I can see what they’re guarding by slipping into the shadows. We’ll discover the source of the Goblins’ transformation.”
“No.”
“Alpha, Lord Damon is right. We are in a tight spot, and if we delay any longer, things will become even more dangerous,” Mathias said through the mind link.
Alkrevas looked at a few Goblins standing guard and exhaled slowly. What both of them said was true, but if they took rash action, the risk would be too significant. By carefully planning their moves and devising a new strategy, they could reduce the risks they faced.
“I said no. We need to come up with a more well-thought-out strategy. There are only the two of you. At least we know the location of the Goblin base and have some clarity on the reason behind their transformation-black magic.” Then, Alkrevas pulled himself back, allowing Mathias to regain control of his body. Mathias glanced at the Goblins and growled softly before stepping back.
“Return. We’ll discuss this again when you’re back at the mansion. If you encounter any Goblins on the way, try not to fight them and avoid them. Mathias, I can sense your exhaustion.” Alkrevas breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Mathias’ positive response, and the mind link was cut off.
Alkrevas opened his eyes, feeling a mix of emotions. He walked around the table and sat back in his chair. He had just taken a breath and was about to return to reading the documents when a new mind link came through-this time, not from Mathias, but from his Beta, Savon. Alkrevas was confused about why his Beta contacted him through the mind link when communications were supposed to be cut off in Mylonas Capital.
“Al-pha…! I’m in an emergency!”
“Savon? How are you able to reach me?” For a moment, Alkrevas was met with silence, which made him think he was imagining things. Still, mindlinks couldn’t be taken lightly, meaning Savon was in trouble, which distracted him. “Savon, answer me! How can you contact me?”
“What’s happening?” Still, no response was enough to put Alkrevas on high alert.
“Alpha… we… were attacked… in the Nerbour region…”
“What? Nerbour? Weren’t you-never mind… what’s your condition, and the others? Have you contacted the nearest location?”
“I’m not seriously injured, but the other knights have sustained concerning wounds, and we need help urgently. I’ve tried contacting the nearest city, but I am still waiting for someone to respond.”
“Alright. I’ll send help immediately. Hold on.” Alkrevas immediately called for General Almbra and asked when the man arrived, “Is there a team near the Nerbour region?”
General Almbra furrowed his brow before nodding. “Yes, Your Majesty. Currently, the first order’s team is the closest, about four kilometers from Nerbour.”
“Send the team immediately to assist in evacuating Beta Savon’s group.”
“Pardon? But isn’t Beta Savon in Mylonas Capital?”
“Do it now.”
General Almbra promptly followed the Emperor’s orders, turning around and giving his subordinates a few directions. Alkrevas wondered where Commander Thea was, but he decided to figure that out later because there were more important matters to attend to, and thinking about that woman wasn’t his priority-except for Luna.
“Savon?” The Beta’s response was weak but audible.
“I’ve ordered Almbra to send the nearest knight team. Knights from the first order, located four kilometres from Nerbour, are heading your way. Now, explain how you ended up in Nerbour.”This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
“Lady Luna and Aide Jaxon went to Veniam Duchy by order of His Grace the Duke, using your private teleportation.”
“Why not you? I ordered you to stay by my soulmate’s side.”
“I had to handle the situation in Mylonas with His Grace, the Duke because the black mage was causing chaos in the capital. So, Lady Luna was accompanied by Aide Jaxon, and I planned to follow with a few elite knights from the Royal Pack after things settled down. By His Grace’s orders, we travelled secretly, using inter-regional teleportation, and arrived at the Summflare border to continue to Veniam Duchy. Once we entered the Nerbour Forest, we were suddenly attacked by a group of men in black robes.”
“Do you recognize them?”
“From their movements, I suspect they are rogues. Still, I’m determined because once we entered the forest, my senses and those of the knights seemed to dull, making us less alert.”
That means the attack was deliberate, but by whom? Because if what Beta Savon said was true, no one knew about Savon’s journey to Veniam Duchy except Markus-or had he misjudged?
Could this be the traitor’s doing? If so, Alkrevas wasn’t surprised because that rat had been able to deceive everyone with ease. Based on Savon’s description, the attackers must have been waiting, setting traps, which meant they had anticipated Savon’s and the knights’ arrival.
Alkrevas drummed his fingers, carefully considering everything that had happened. Then, he stood up and walked out of the room. It was time for him to return to the imperial palace. He couldn’t delay any longer; a lead on the Goblin issue was now. Alkrevas couldn’t risk further delay in his return. He could leave everything here to General Almbra and Mathias.
…