The Legend of Black Eyes 260 The Burden

King Nicholas was panting heavily. Everybody in his tent was on their knees. They were also struggling to breathe. All color had deserted their faces. Sweat trickled down their brows and drenched their undergarments.

King Nicholas and his company had heard a deafening roar. A few heartbeats later, the tent flapped open and a strong gale brushed past them. King Nicholas felt as though his soul departed his body then.

"What in the heavens was that?" he asked, out of breath.

General Ulrich groaned as he got to his feet. He went outside to inspect. The king and Elsa eyed each other in silence. Even the soldiers outside had gone completely mute. He also couldn't hear Stalwart and the Bishop fighting. When Ulrich came back, his eyes were blank. He had this dreamy smile plastered on his face.

"The Bishop..." he said. He sounded like a drunk.

"What of it? Spill it out already!" the king ordered.

"You should see it, sire...�� General Ulrich snorted, turned on his heels and left.

"What's wrong with him?" The king was confused.

He got up to follow the general but Elsa barred his way. "Sire, it would be best if we stayed here."

"Out of my way woman! I need to see what's happened!" The king had used his most imposing tone.

Elsa was struggling to keep the king inside the tent. He tired to walk around but she wouldn't let him bypass her. "Sire, Ulrich was gone for a second. Look what happened to him."

The king's eyes narrowed, fat creases formed on his forehead. "This is exactly why I'm heading out. I need to..." His eyes widened. "Do you mean it could be magic, Stalwart's?"

"Or The Bishop's," Elsa said. She was relieved the king had finally understood. "The last time he fell, he took out more than two thousand of your men. Imagine if we can't move while he comes falling over our heads."

The king scratched his clean shaven chin. "What do you suggest we do?"

"I'm a magic user. I'll use my senses to navigate through your army. Sire, this will be the perfect opportunity for us to slip out, unnoticed. We have to go now, your grace. Please, you are far more important alive. You can make a difference. Please..." Elsa's eyes wavered. Tears formed atop her lower lid.

"You are asking far too much Lady Vogel. A king does not abandon his subjects." The king still wouldn't listen to Elsa.

Elsa took a deep breath. She had to convince this stubborn king to save his life, and hers in the process. "Sire, If you stay here, you will die with your men. People will certainly give you a proper burial. Thousands, maybe millions will come to your funeral.

They will all remember you as King Nicholas, the Brave, but then what? Who will lead these people if Stalwart wins? What future awaits them? They will all die if we don't put a stop to Stalwart, once and for all. Would you rather be remembered as Nicholas the Brave, or Nicholas the Savior?"

The king looked troubled. He started pacing the room. Elsa took it as a good sign. The king had at least stayed away from the exit. "Lead the way," he said in a defeated tone.

Elsa repressed a smile and extended her hand toward the king. "Hold my hand, your grace. Do not let go, and do not open your eyes no matter what you hear."

He took the lady's hand and chuckled. "A king taking orders from a woman... Well isn't this a first..."

'I wonder what your wife would think if she heard you...' Elsa thought as she led the king outside.

She also had her eyes closed, but she could feel a strong presence above her. The presence was extremely hostile. The moment Elsa spread her senses outwards, she felt it lash at her. It felt like a mountain loomed above her, threatening to crush her at a moment's notice.

She endured. Every step she made caused her to wince in pain. She was already breathless after she took five steps. Her soul screamed at her to open her eyes. Every voice inside her head urged her to open her eyes and be done with it.

'You'd feel much better.' The voices told her. 'You'll forget all the pain.'

A winged humanoid creature the size of a mountain hovered in the air above Elsa. You could fill the entirety of Rolar, the capital, in one of its eyes. They looked like the night sky, pitch black with stars shimmering everywhere. Its ethereal wings were multicolored.

Every time the creature flapped its wings, colors would fill the sky. To those watching, the sight soothed their hearts. Fear of death and mundane worries felt like a trivial, meaningless hurdle. They all stared at the winged angel and smiled. Their hearts felt light, and their heads swam in happiness.

Elsa fought the temptation to open her eyes. She dragged the king through his dazed soldiers. She could feel a vein in her head pulsating with every heartbeat. Every step now made her feel as though thick needles pierced her skull.

When Elsa made the twentieth step, she couldn't take it any longer. The creature's hostile energy was crushing her. Blood flowed from her nostrils. Her knees shook violently. She was about to collapse.

Just as she tried to open her eyes, the energy had quickly retreated. Elsa sighed in relief. Her body was still shaking, but she could still lead the king away. She made one more step. Then she heard a soothing voice ring through her entire body.

"You've finally decided to come," the voice said.

Elsa felt another presence. It was Stalwart's, but something had changed in it. She was tempted to open her eyes just to see the mad wizard, but she decided against it. The king's safety was her priority.

"Let's stick to fighting, shall we?" she heard Stalwart answer. His voice echoed inside her mind as it traveled through her ears. She shuddered.

She heard swords clashing. Then the earth around them shook. She was running out of time. She had to get the king out of here no matter what. No matter the outcome of the battle that raged above her, everybody present in the battlefield was bound to die. Those two had powerful souls. They were almost gods.

If one of them died, their souls would explode and reduce everything in their vicinity to ash and rubble. "Your grace, I'm deeply, truly sorry, but this is the only way."

The king's head darted in all directions. "What – what's going on?" he asked in a frightened tone.

"Stalwart and the Bishop are about to kill each other," Elsa said. "There's no time to explain. Again, I wholeheartedly apologize."

She moved like lightning. She heaved the king from his feet and carried him, as though a groom carries his bride. "We'll travel faster this way."

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