Chapter 149 The Battle To End All.

Chapter 149 The Battle To End All.
JOSH’S P.O.V.

The horizon was a silver and grey as the sun rose on the third day of our march towards the witches Kingdom. Behind me, the combined armies of the Vampire Nation and the Lycan Kingdom stretched back for miles. Vampire soldiers were in black, while the Lycans were mostly shirtless with only black shorts on.

Every step I took reminded me that I was closer to achieve the revenge I seek for my wife. I wanted to spend my enternity with her, but the witches took that away from me, and for that they will pay dearly. I can never forgive them no matter what anyone says.

Raymond walked beside me, his blue eyes studying me with worry. "Are you truly sure about this, Josh?" he asked, his voice low. "Once the war starts, there is no turning back."

"I have never been more sure of anything in my life," I replied. "They took the heart out of my kingdom. I’m going to destroy theirs completely."

Lysander, walked on my other side, looking at the ground. He had wanted to go with Kate and Domenic, but thought against it. It was a struggle for him to seperate himself from his son and join us in this war, but his loyalty to Camille and the throne was too strong.

He stared at me with pursed lips and unsure eyes. "Just make sure you don't regret this later, your Majesty. Vengeance is a hungry guest; it rarely leaves until the house is empty."

I didn't answer. I couldn't. All I could think about was Camille’s pale body and the blood all over her on that stretcher. I wonder how the witches had killed her. Camille was powerful, they must have put her through a lot of suffering before taking her away from me.

A few hours later, we reached the Witches' Kingdom, and it turns out they were already prepared as well. The witches were gathered in a massive, terrifying line across the plains, and as expected, they weren't alone.

High above, the sky was choked with the massive, leathery wings of Dragons, their scales glinting like jewels against the grey clouds. To the side stood
the Faes, their ethereal forms shimmering with a dangerous, pulsating light, their bows notched with arrows that hummed with magic.

My blood boiled as I stared at the traitors. I had no idea what lies the witches had said to the Dragons and Faes to bring them to this field, but I didn't care. They had picked the wrong side, and they are going to die because of this.

"I can't believe the fought at our side in the last war, and now we'll have to fight against them." Raymond said with slight discomfort.

"Well, are you ready?" I asked him with raised brows.

He shrugged, "bring it on man!"

"ATTACK!" I roared, and the earth shook as the Lycans shifted, a wave of fur and claws surging forward. The vampires followed in a blur of black.

The initial clash was a nightmare. The sky rained fire as the Dragons made their first pass, turning dozens of my men into pillars of ash in a single breath. The Fae arrows found the gaps in our chests with impossible precision, and the witches' spells tore through our ranks, binding feet and shattering bones. For a moment, it felt like we were drowning in a sea of magic.

But my people were fueled by more than just orders; they were fueled by the same grief that burned in me. We pushed back as hard as we could. I led the charge, my vampire speed allowing me to weave through the chaos like a ghost. We tore through the Fae lines, our fangs and sword finding their forms, while the Lycans brought down the witches and dragons with raw, animalistic fury.

It was difficult to defeat flying cteatures and creatures possesing black magic, but the Vampires and Lycans were strongest in the supernatural world for a reason. There was blood, there was death, there was darkness and slowly the tide began to turn. The ground turned into a slick, red mire of blood and mud.

I finally saw the man I was looking for him. The man who had deceived us during the last war. A follower of Khaos.

The silver-haired witch was standing on a raised mound, his hands wreathed in violet flames as he directed the slaughter. My heart burned with fury. I could picture him taking Camille’s life. I could picture how she helpless she must have felt.

I didn't hesitate. I blurred across the battlefield, my eyes locked onto his throat. "You bastard!" I hissed as I crashed into him.

He managed to throw up a shimmering shield just in time, the force of my impact making the air ripple. He looked at me, a cruel, mocking smile on his face. "Ah, the grieving King. Come to join your wife in the after life?"

"I'm going to rip your heart out through your chest," I growled.

"Killing her was the best thing I’ve ever done," he taunted, his silver hair whipped around his face by the magical winds. I was dying to wipe that smug look off his face. "The look on her face when she realized she would never see her husband and her son again… it was exquisite."

I saw red instantly. I didn't think; I just moved. I lunged, my speed pushed to its absolute limit. The bastard tried to cast a binding spell, his fingers weaving a complex pattern in the air, but I was faster. I ducked under the blast, the heat of the magic singeing my hair, and drove my shoulder into his chest.

We tumbled down the mound, a chaotic tangle of limbs and snarls. He tried to blast me with a burst of dark energy, but I caught his wrists, the skin of my palms sizzling as I forced his hands away. With a snarl, I drove my fangs into his shoulder, tearing a chunk of flesh away.

He screamed, his magic faltering for a split second. That was all I needed. I surged upward, my hand closing around his throat. He tried to mutter one last incantation, his eyes wide with a sudden, sharp terror, but I didn't give him the chance. I twisted with every ounce of my strength.

The sound of his neck snapping was the most satisfying thing I had ever heard. I threw his body to the ground, panting, my chest heaving hard. But even as the light began to fade from Druid’s eyes, he started to laugh.

"You fool..." he gasped, blood bubbling at his lips. "You think this is over? You think you’ve won? You have no idea what you’ve just invited in..."

I was still trying to understand what the bastard meant when the world suddenly started to shake vigorously. A sound like a thousand cracking bones echoed across the battle field. From the shadows of surrounding bushes, they emerged. Millions, a literal sea of shadow monsters began to pour onto the battlefield.

My eyes were wide as I watched them in horror. They moved with a terrifying hunger and brutality that would terrify anyone in their mercy. They were nothing like those things we fought during the last war even though they lookes similar. This ones were stronger, faster, much more dangerous. They attacked the witches, the faes, and the dragons not caring about sides. Like animals, they killed everything in their path. No one stood a chance.

"What is this?!" I yelled, looking at Druid’s dying body.

"You can't escape now..." Druid laughed weakly, before breathing his last.

The slaughter was brutal. The shadow monsters tore through the Lycans like they were made of paper. I saw a dragon plucked from the sky by a mass of shadows and torn apart before it even hit the ground. The screams of the dying filled the air, and I could only watch in horror.

Lysander appeared at my side, his face covered in blood, his eyes wide with a terror I had never seen in him. "Your Majesty, We have to go! These things... we can't kill them! They’re endless and powerful, and we have no idea where they are coming from. Lord Helios is dead."

I looked around at my proud army. They were being erased slaughtered without mercy. "RETREAT!" I screamed, "ALL MEN, RETREAT!"

We turned and ran, the shadow monsters hot on our heels. We scrambled through the mud, tripping over the bodies of fallen soliders, allies and enemies alike. Just as we reached the edge of the woods, a massive shadow monster, easily ten feet tall, lunged from the bush. It caught Lysander by the shoulder, its claws sinking deep into his flesh.

Lysander screamed in pain. "Lysander!" I cried, spinning around and reaching for him.

"Go!" Lysander roared, his fangs bared as he struggled against the creature's grip. "Leave me your Majesty! Save the others! GO!, but please protect my little boy Frederick, and if anyone gets the chance to see Quinn again, please let her know that I love her."

I hesitated for a heartbeat, my hand outstretched. But the monster was joined by three more, their dark forms coiling around Lysander like smoke. "I'm sorry! I promise I'll take care of Federick," Tears escaped Lysander’s eyes as he nodded. I choked out, turning and sprinting into the darkness of the trees.

I made the mistake of looking back one last time. I saw Lysander fighting hard against them, but then, with a sickening, effortless motion, the lead monster swept a claw across his neck, wiping his head clean off his neck.

I looked away, the image of his head falling to the dirt etched into my brain. I ran. I didn't stop until my lungs burned and my legs felt like jellies.

Eventually, the sound of the slaughter faded behind us. I stopped in a small clearing, looking around at the remnants of my army. We were few. A handful of vampires, a dozen battered Lycans. Raymond was there, his fur matted with blood, his head bowed in a grief that matched my own. No witches, Faes and dragons seem to have made it alive

This wasn't the victory I had promised. This wasn't the vengeance Camille deserved. Standing in the silent woods, the weight of my pride finally crushed me. I had started a war for a ghost, and in doing so, I had led the living to their slaughter.

I looked at my blood-stained hands and felt a cold, hollow realization. Camille had died for peace. And I, in my foolishness, had just murdered it all over again.

I should have listened to everyone who advised me against this war. Now the world was in shambles because of me.