Chapter 228
The resolution was that they were going to put the rogues down no matter how many of them they found there. The family was all for the brutal murder of the largest collection of rogues in history, however, they were not stupid. Measures had been placed to try and ensure victory... Thorrin stood on a balcony at the top of the palace, overlooking most of the capital. His ten-mile radius senses were detecting more and more rogues moving into the woods.
An order had been issued that all households were to be reinforced with anti-rogue measures. Wolfsbane was supplied to all families to keep their doors sealed and an order was issued that all houses that were to be used for residential purposes were to be equipped with a bunker and supplies that could weather out the storm that was to come.
“How many are they?” a voice called out to him. He looked to his right and greeted his sister with a nod...
“Enough to make the beach jealous... It’s like he’s throwing everything he has left in his arsenal... I would have never thought the rogues could be this many. An order was issued that the spies try to figure out what it is he is hoping to achieve by all this...”
“A messenger came here just a moment ago to deliver that exact message,” the woman replied, handing the Mighty Warrior a sheet of paper. His eyes scanned through the details inscribed on the paper in his hands...
After what seemed like an eternity, the man spoke up, “Very well... If the king is the one they are after, then I shall take my place at the king’s door. They won’t get to him.”
“No, I object, brother. Let me be the one to guard the king. Come on... Even Micah can take care of that on his own. You have a duty to the rest of us to make sure you put the Rogue King in his place. I know it, Thorrin. He will be here today and I know he might end up proving too powerful for the rest of us to handle. Please Thorrin... We will protect the king. Let you be the one to bring the rogue king to his knees.”
Her voice was filled with so much conviction that the Mighty Warrior wasn’t so sure he was still speaking to his sister. For so long, he’d thought he was the only one that shared in the desire to put down the rogue king so quickly and yet here was someone else telling him to follow his path to the finish, “Very well... I shall bring him down even if it’s the last thing I do.”
.....
The woman breathed out a sigh of relief, “That’s so good to hear. I wouldn’t be comfortable giving that assignment to anyone else. Although I hate to say this, the higher-ups have given you an extra order to come with the long-awaited victory against the rogue king.”
“What might that be?” he asked her.
“They want you to bring him in alive. Given the chance that you can bring the rogue king alive, it will be considered to be more of an achievement than bringing him down when he could even have an heir waiting to take his place,” the woman said to him.
Thorrin was quiet for a while thinking over his sister’s words... He brushed his hand through his thick locks of hair before sighing, “That’s going to be such a bother...”
“I know,” she replied with a chuckle...
“I have been detecting different groups of werewolves coming into the capital. Might I know what that is supposed to mean?” Thorrin asked her.
“Oh, the werewolves called for help from the other packs and all packs that were willing sent a detail of all the pack warriors they could spare to help in protecting the capital of Lycaon. They have all been checked for suspicion. They are clean as far as security goes... The new queen seems to know all of them quite well. The hunters welcomed them after verifying who they were... I didn’t pick up anything unusual from them except a few who were verified as well...”
“Why did you stop? We always follow our senses. You of all people know that...”
“Yes, Thorrin, I know, but when the rest of the hunters have agreed to accept the werewolves in and all you have to go on is a feeling that they might be dangerous, people start to question your sanity,” the woman replied, cutting him off.
“They know which family we are from. We have the liberty to dismiss someone simply because we don’t like the way they look. Tell me you didn’t just let someone like that just watch around the castle,” Thorrin replied rubbing his temples...
“No, of course, I didn’t. I had to re-establish the security detail around the palace and change the criteria required for one to access the palace grounds. This was to make sure someone like that could not enter without being watched or stay out completely,” she replied.
Thorrin looked on the horizon beyond the balcony... He could feel the weight of the coming battle, this was no time for him to start questioning those amongst themselves when the enemy drew near, “The rogues will attack tonight, Evelyn. Make sure we don’t have potential traitors amongst us when the fighting breaks out. We are protecting the king. We don’t need to have people among us that we have to worry about.”
“I understand, Thorrin. I will get to it, straight away,” Evelyn said before leaving his presence. The hunters of the world had never been forced to bring this many of their forces out to one place. The rogues had caused more of a stir than ever before...
“I will just make sure the rogues that had surfaced today fail to see the light of day tomorrow,” he said more to himself as he stood on the balcony. His eyes opened but merged with his other senses to expand his vision beyond its physical capabilities. It was as though he was staring at all of them... Just then, his senses spiked the highest since he’d ever learnt to use them... Pinpointing the direction and position, he could practically feel the Rogue King as though they were in the same room...
...........
“Where are my generals?” the Rogue King’s voice boomed through the forest. He didn’t even do anything to conceal his presence. He was several miles from the capital, however, it was still unusual for rogues to announce their presence in the manner with which he did. The rogues around him scattered to give way for the generals to reach the man before he chose to show how impatient he could get.
General Gander was the first to arrive. The man was large and known for his strength. All the generals were similar in skill which made him an enigma as he had to be as quick as the others to be called a general in the first place. The only ones that were known to pull off such a feat at his size were the beta alphas... After all, their power dictated that they be that size. This man was naturally bulky and yet he could pull his weight. This was probably what made him the scariest of the generals along with his deep voice.
“You seem to be in good moods today, your majesty,” he said, bowing low with one knee to the ground.
The second to make it to him was General Amanda. The woman strolled in yawning as though there was nothing scary about the blue-eyed man that had summoned them. She took her place beside the bulky man in a similar position, “You called, my king.”
“It’s nice to see that...” THUD... went a sound not far from the king. They all turned to see another red-eyed man or... boy at this point, rolling about in the grass...
“Ouch ouch ouch, that is not the way it was supposed to look,” the boy rolled about, trying to ease the pain in his back. Whatever manoeuvre he’d tried through the trees had got him to land on his back right on top of a buttress root. It wasn’t a surprise to any of them as the boy was known for similar antics...
The rest of them waited patiently as he finished nursing his wounds... As he did so, another voice pierced through the air, “I see Benji hasn’t forgotten his ways... You know it’s disgusting of you to emulate the hunters...”
“Oh, don’t be such a stick in the mud, Samson. You also know how cool they look when they zip through the trees like that... It’s creative of them,” the boy replied, finally recovering from his fall. Samson, the more composed man took his place beside Amanda.
“My Lord,” he announced.
“If I’m to pick up where Samson left off, you look like a monkey when you try to do that Benji. Now get in with the others before I emulate his majesty’s impatience, “A new voice interrupted them... This one was more powerful than the other generals and his presence calmed the king. The man was large and his eyes burned a bright red... His aura was nothing less of a beta alpha and his name was Thane.”
Benji picked himself up and took his place beside Samson bowing to the rogue king, “My King, we are at your service...”
Thane sighed nodding his head and took his place in front of them before taking a bow as well, although his was more of that of a butler and not knightly in any way. The king, pleased with their response proceeded with his words, “Well, now that I am here, shall we?”
Smirks spread across their faces as they confirmed what they had wanted to hear since they’d heard their king’s summons. Waiting for the king had been excruciating, but the time for them to carry out his wishes was finally upon them and nothing could make them happier...