Their questions were answered when Alec emerged from the fog d from head to toe in pure steel.


    His steps were light despite his massive size. With a tower shield in one hand and a spear in the other, he looked like the true definition of an unbeatable knight.


    "Draw!"


    About a hundred Syrian archers nocked their bows and drew them.


    "Loose!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The arrows bounced off Alec''s. They could only watch him approach the portcullis. Alec squatted, dropped his weapons, and wrapped his fingers, covered by his gauntlet, around the steel bars.


    The bars were thick enough to make him put in effort, but he wasn''t nning to break it. Grunting deeply, he began to lift the heavy portcullis.


    Some archers couldn''t believe their eyes, while some began to shoot rapidly, but their arrows bounced off with a spark.


    Behind him, hundreds of Deste Wolves were approaching. Flickers of their crimson battle force reflecting in the eyes of the Syrian soldiers.


    Thud!


    Themandernded before Syrian archers and mmed both feet against the ground. The earth trembled, and a great rock rose from the ground, blocking the gate!


    Turning, he bellowed.


    "Prepare the—"


    Boom!


    The rock blew apart. The implosion caused a shockwave thatunched both themander and other soldiers away.


    Alec stepped on top of the rubble, shattering it instantly. He pointed his spear at the soldiers, and his battle force red, rising so high that it seemed to be as tall as the walls.


    Imposingly, Deste Wolves and elite Deste Wolves marched into the city. Some hung Ashbourne gs on the wall!


    The moment they entered the castle, they faced troopsing from the three streets that connected to the main exit.


    These troops were soldiers from the main gate, north gate, and east gate.


    "Formation!"


    Alec bellowed. The Deste Wolves formed a phnx, facing all three sides.


    "Steady… steady…"


    Alec''s voice sank into their spirits as they took steps as one. Eventually they shed with the aggressive Syrian infantrymen.


    With the elite Deste Wolves at the front, the average Deste Wolves had it easy. In unison they thrust their spears, retrieved it, and repeated.


    All of a sudden, a Syrian infantryman d in ck leather armor removed a strap covering his mouth and opened his mouth wide.


    He unleashed a sonic st that broke the shield wall facing the east gate guards. This allowed the Syrians to break the defense and flood in.


    But as they flooded in, Alec mmed his shield against the ground, and the drake head unleashed hot, scalding ash fog before unleashing mes!


    "Argh!!"


    The Deste Wolves sealed the opening. This made themander realize that they were still under the Ashbourne troops strategy.


    They didn''t get the upper hand at all. He could only watch the men that entered get massacred.


    Meanwhile, Asher sat on Bezerk outside the wall with 100 King Swordsmen on their Silver Blood horse behind him.


    He leaned forward, blinking twice.


    "Report!"


    A soldier ran toward him.


    "How''s themander''s progress?"


    "We have breached the second gate."


    "Good."


    Asher turned to Paul. "Take your men, man the walls, and wipe them out. Once we have control of the wall, this battle should be over before noon."


    Paul nodded. The fog was almost gone at this point as the sun rose, staining the clouds with its orange radiance.


    Paul led 1000 Goshen Longbow Archers into the walls of the second wall, and from there, they began to rain explosive arrows on the Syrian infantrymen.


    The sudden attack made themander clench his teeth hard. The battle force rippling out of those archers could be equated to that of a knight!


    While the chaos continued on the battlefield, slowly spreading to other parts of the castle, Viscount Syria watched everything from the window.


    He could see the horizons of his castle in mes.


    "My lord, shouldn''t we send the people to safeholds?"


    "Why? The enemies have been avoiding them from the beginning. Why should we cater to people who aren''t in danger?"


    The official who spoke couldn''t reply.


    "But your lordship, they''re your people."


    Viscount Syria turned to the official. "Those soldiers will ignore those people and kill you. Who are you to protect? Them or yourself?"


    The man couldn''t respond.


    Viscount Syria turned back to the window. His face solemn.


    "House Ashbourne has hid themselves really well."


    Boom!


    The doors were opened by Syrian noble guards, and the captain that blew the horn walked in with hurried steps.


    Thud!


    He fell on one knee.


    "Your Lordship, we are losing. The Ashbourne troops have about 4000 gold-ranked knights, and theirmanders are of higher ranks."


    "4000 what!" An official eximed.


    He turned to Viscount Syria and saw his face was still solemn.


    "House Ashbourne has hid themselves really, really well. Lord Asher, what a cunning young man. Taking the route of the forest of horrors to be unexpected, possessing siege relics and now thousands of knights. We''ve truly allowed a carp to grow into a dragon."


    Turning, he faced his officials, all of whom were nobles but notnded ones.


    "We leave at once."


    Their eyes widened. Before they could speak, Viscount Syria was leaving the hall with his noble guards.


    By the time the Deste Wolves broke into the lord''s manor, Viscount Syria was gone.


    Tapk! Tapk!


    Asher walked into the hall. He looked at the Syrian gs that his men were pulling down and the small room with a in expression.


    "He escaped."


    "We discovered a secret passage that should lead to somewhere outside the city. My men are in the passage right now."


    Alec reported.


    "I see."


    Ruffling Sirius'' fur, Asher walked straight to therge wooden chair and sat down, crossing one leg over the other.


    Bright sunlight poured in through the windows, illuminating the room.


    "Let him be. It''s time for Count William to know a little bit of my power and respect me as a fellow count. This warning should let him know the wastnds don''t belong to him."


    "Should we allow Viscount Syria to escape?"


    "Yes. He''s a good talker. He''ll be the bard that will let the world know of the Ashbourne knights."


    Asher''s eyes flickered.


    ....


    A/N: Hello, I have joined the characterpetition and it will be nice for  you guys to vote my character so it can at least enter the next stage.


    Also, my work will be released on Amazon by this month''s ending or January, next year so I''m hiring an editor!