19. Above The Forest

The noise of the leaves rustling drowned out all other sounds from Nathanial’s ears. Hushed voices faded, and all that remained were his thoughts. He examined the outer perimeters of the makeshift supply depot, counting the knights, crates, and standard footmen patrolling the area.

At a glance, excluding the escort caravan, there were at least two hundred footmen and twenty knights. The footmen wore standard iron armor with red tabards beneath. This was common among those who were low-ranking members of the army, but what caught Nathanial’s attention wasn’t them. It was the silver armored knights with crimson capes draped over their shoulders. The red plumes on top of their helms freely flowed in the wind, and even though he couldn’t tell which knight order they belonged to.

That didn’t matter.

A force rivaling the Watchmen and their own knights was stationed here. With a number they couldn’t even compete against, and according to Luka’s first rule, their choice was simple. They would run far beyond this hill and back to where their comrades were.

There wasn’t even a need to think of the other rules. It was just that simple, and as Nathanial glanced over at Fredrick, their gazes met with the same thought flashing through their eyes.

“We’re running?” Fredrick asked.

“Indeed—far beyond this place in fact,” Nathanial replied. “We’ve completed our mission, got intel, and now it’s time to run and never look back.”

“What?” Chris said in a low voice. “Shouldn’t we try to figure out their exact numbers and why they decided to set up a forward base here?”

Nathanial stared at the previous patrol leader and shook his head. “I’m not risking the lives of my men. We can leave that task of figuring out why the supply depot is here to the commander. For now, we need to at least get back with this information, or else they’ll never know.”

Chris bitterly nodded. He knew Nathanial was right, and even if they stayed longer, it didn’t guarantee that they would discover anything new. All it would do was increase the chances of them getting discovered.

The patrol leader pushed the leaves aside one last time and peered down at the ruins below. Men rushed frantically between the old crumbling stone structures while hauling the wooden crates across the camp. Their desperate movements didn’t make a single bit of sense to him, no matter how much Nathanial tried to piece the information together.

“It looks like they’re… scattering,” Nathanial muttered.

His gaze followed one footman as he hurried back toward one of the knights. In the man’s hands was a single bow and arrow.

“What are they doing?”

Nathanial squinted his eyes. That single question lingered in his mind. Yet, moments later, it became one he wished he had never asked. Every knight in the Empire’s newly established base suddenly froze. Then their heads all snapped as one toward the hill. Toward them.

Ignoring the dense foliage and thick brush concealing their positions as the knights’ eyes locked onto the three with terrifying precision.

“Oh, shit!” Fredrick stared at the uncanny sight in disbelief before turning to Nathanial.

“That’s our cue.” Nathanial didn’t hesitate; he instantly jerked his hand backward in a sharp signal.

And Fredrick caught on right away.“Fucking run!”

The three of them slid down the hill with all the other patrol members jumping to their feet. They sprinted with all their might back into the cover of the leaves. Back to their camp. But as they were several meters away from the hill, a devastating explosion shook the earth from behind them.

The hill they were just on shattered. Dirt, stone, and vegetation erupted outward as clouds of dust billowed to the sky. Nathanial felt the rocks pelt the shield on his back. The metallic clink ringing in his ears as his men desperately ran without looking back. Twigs and other loose branches snapped beneath the weight of their metal boots, leaving behind a trail as they focused on getting the hell out of their current predicament.

Nathanial knew their run had been too easy. He knew that something didn’t add up when they didn’t encounter any of the other enemy patrols, especially after the bloodbath he experienced when Chris led them.

Now they were practically screwed because the knights would be after them. Foes who could strengthen their muscles with aura to increase their physical capabilities. However, as minutes passed and the urgency settled, Nathanial finally looked back toward the landmark.

They’re not chasing us?

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The disbelief left Nathanial stunned. He stared at his men’s ragged forms as they continued to run for their lives. Soon, they would be out of breath. Even if they could fight against five-star aura users, their lives would be forfeit. The only option was to keep running, and even though Fredrick, Richard, and Nathanial could keep going.

They would leave the rest behind.

With no other choice, he signaled for the men to stop.

Each one came to a halt, with Fredrick raising a brow. “Why are we stopping? If we rest now, then the Empire’s knights will catch up!”

“Take a look around you,” Nathanial said. “If we keep going at our current pace, then several of us will fall behind, besides…” He glanced back in the direction where the knights were. “They aren’t chasing us.”

Fredrick paused for a split second before following Nathanial’s gaze and clicking his tongue. His friend was right; if the knights had given chase, then he would have seen the faint light of aura from the depths of the forest. Even if they had a head start, it was only a couple hundred meters at most. A distance that their foes could eventually cover.

“Then why did they just let us go?” Fredrick asked. “It doesn’t make sense, and you know it. We’ve discovered their supply depot. Once we report this, then the Kingdom will make its move.”