Kayden Lionheart


    Kayden finished cleaning his sword as the sun rose, promising another hot and ruthless day. Even though the war had been over a year now, and Kayden was king, he was still on the move, helping to clean up the mess in the desert.


    The pile of demon bodies caught fire as the first rays of sun touched them and Kayden sat to pour the sand from his boots and change his bloody uniform to something clean and more comfortable. He’d cleaned up as much as he could, using a flask of water to get rid of the blood on his face and hands, but he yearned for a nice, hot shower to wash away even the memory of fighting, sweat, and sand. A few hours of sleep would be nice too, but they had to get going to make it to an oasis by nightfall. Thunder shook her white mane and walked to Kayden’s bag, poking it with her nose.


    “Not now, girl.” He put his boots back on and stepped to the horse, running his hand over her black and white neck. “But tonight. I promise.”


    He only had two apples left, and she’d be upset with him if she didn’t get her evening treat. And when Thunder threw a tantrum, it meant he didn’t get a good night''s sleep. After spending three nights in the desert hunting demons, and only catching a few hours of sleep during the day, Kayden needed a peaceful night.


    Thunder snorted and kicked the bag for good measure. Kayden smiled and instead of spoiling the mare further, he offered some water for her.


    The lights shone brighter for a moment, and a wave of magic reached them. It penetrated his skin like thousands of needles. Then the sensation was gone. A temporary change in magic like this could only mean one thing.


    “Not again,” Kayden groaned and looked at his warlock.


    The man’s aura vibrated as he cast a spell. “A portal has been opened not far from here, my king.”


    The man cracked his knuckles, nervously glancing at him. And he had every right to feel that way. If Kayden could allow himself to show his emotions, he’d look pretty much the same. With the war, with the opening of the portals, magic had changed. No one knew the rules anymore, and no one knew what dangers could cross from other worlds.


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    “Is it still open?” Kayden asked, hiding his worry behind a well practiced cold surface.


    “No.” The man wet his lower lip. “I only sensed it for a few seconds.”


    Kayden pulled his shoulder length hair into a quick bun before sheathing his sword and checking his pistol on his weapon belt. A few seconds meant that not many beings could’ve crossed. A handful of them, tops. And hopefully, they weren’t some kind of demons.


    He took a deep breath and mounted Thunder. “I’ll go in alone. Tell the others to circle whoever entered our world. Perform an illusion spell to hide them.”


    The warlock bowed and went to give the orders.


    Kayden moved with a small, but effective team: a warlock, a healer, and three other trained wielders. One of them was his brother, Kieran.


    They exchanged a look and with a nod he signaled to Kieran to shift and keep an eye on the events from the sky. Kieran’s form vibrated, and a hawk flew to the sky a moment later.


    Kayden looked after him, motioning to Thunder to follow Kieran. Why were relationships so complicated? He rubbed his neatly trimmed beard.


    For months now, Kayden tried to tell Kieran that he was sorry. He knew he’d blamed him for no reason. But he couldn’t find the words. It would lead to a conversation he wasn’t ready to have. A talk about their mother.


    So instead of apologizing, Kayden tried to change their relationship and spent as much time with him as possible. To finally live up to his promise he’d made as a child; to train Kieran, teach him, and be the brother he deserved.


    Kayden shook his head and pushed aside the thoughts. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand.


    The hawk screamed a moment before Kayden saw her, too. A woman, shedding thick, furry clothing, walking alone in the desert with nothing but what she had on her.


    Even from a distance, she was beautiful with her long wavy blond hair, hourglass shape and full round breasts. Maybe if he stopped now, she’d take off all of her clothes. Kayden sighed. He’d end up in an early grave because of how distracting women were.


    He kept up his guard as he approached. Just because he couldn’t see anyone or anything nearby, it didn’t mean she was alone. After all, his men were hidden from her eyes.


    A few meters from the woman, Kayden stopped. “What are you doing in this land?” His hand rested close to the hilt of his sword, and he kept his fire magic at the tip of his fingers, ready to use it if needed.