Chapter 18: THE ALLIANCE

*CATHRYLETH CLAN*

*ZARA’S POV*

FLASHBACK: 11 YEARS AGO

I sat on my mother's lap, my small hands playing with the intricate patterns on her dress. I looked up at her with curious eyes.

"Mother?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Mother smiled, her eyes warm and loving. "Yes, little one?"

"If I ever find Father," I said, my brow furrowing with concern, "how will he know I'm his daughter?"

Tira's smile faltered for a moment, a hint of sadness creeping into her eyes as if wondering why a ten-year-old kid would ask such a question. But then she looked at me, really looked at me, and her smile returned.

"Zara, you are a perfect replica of me," she said, her voice filled with conviction. "Anyone who sees you will see me. Your father...he will know you're his daughter."

I looked up at her, unsure. "But what if he doesn't?" I pressed.

Morher's eyes locked onto mine, her gaze burning with intensity. "He will, Zara. I promise you that. You have my eyes, my hair, my smile. You are me, all over again."

I felt a surge of comfort at her words, and I snuggled deeper into her lap. I knew that my mother's words were true - I did look just like her.

*PRESENT*

IN THE WOODS

Mother's words replayed in my head as we rode slowly through the forest, I couldn't help but wonder...If I had seen the king, would he recognize me? Would he see the resemblance between us?

I pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the present moment. But the question lingered, echoing in the back of my mind.

The silence between us was thick, a heavy mist that clung to our skin like the wetness of the trees. Kael's eyes were fixed on some point ahead, his jaw clenched in a mixture of anger and frustration, the muscles in his face drawn tight like the strings of a bow.

I guided my horse alongside Kael's, the leather saddle creaking softly beneath me. The soft rustle of leaves and the snapping of branches were the only sounds that broke the stillness. The forest seemed to be holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen next.

I broke the silence. "Kael?" I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "What happened in there?"

Kael's gaze didn't waver, his eyes fixed on some point ahead. But I could sense a slight tension in his body, a slight shift in his posture. I knew him well enough to recognize the signs of his emotions, the way his body language betrayed his feelings.

I waited patiently for him to respond, the silence between us was stretching out like a thread. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and rough, like the bark of a tree. "It's over," he said, his words barely above a whisper. "They refused to listen."

I felt a pang of disappointment, my heart going out to Kael. I knew how much this meant to him, how much he had hoped to reconcile with his father and the council. I stopped my horse before his, came down, and approached him; he was sitting on his. I squeezed his arm gently, trying to offer what little comfort I could.

"What do you plan to do now?" I asked, my voice soft and gentle.

Kael's gaze finally shifted, his eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, I saw a glimmer of the old Kael, the one who had laughed and joked with me, who had been full of hope and promise. But it was quickly extinguished, replaced by a cold, hard determination.

"I'll do what I have to do," he said, his voice low and menacing. "I'll take back what's mine, no matter the cost."

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I looked into his eyes. I knew that look, the one that said he would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. It was a look that both thrilled and terrified me.

I felt a surge of anger on Kael's behalf, but I pushed it aside, focusing on comforting him instead. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close. "I'm so sorry, Kael," I whispered. "They would regret their choice."

For a moment, we just stood there, holding each other; the only sound we heard was the soft rustling of the leaves in the breeze. But then, without warning, Kael's body tensed, his head snapping up, his eyes fixed on something behind me.

"Zara, move!!" he shouted, his voice loud and urgent.

My heart shrunk into my belly, and I felt a wave of fear down my spine; before I could react, Kael had already shifted me to the side, his body moving with a speed and agility that belied his earlier stillness.

I felt a critical pain in my shoulder, and I looked down to see an arrow protruding from my flesh. I gasped, shock and pain washing over me. If not for Kael, the arrow would've been right in my heart.

Kael's face twisted in a mixture of pain and anger as he looked at me. "Zara, no!" he exclaimed, his voice full of anguish.

“More arrows!!” He screams as he shields me with his body and shield, with lots of arrows pierced into his shield.

“Zara you have to do something, their minds!!” he said, panting heavily while feeling the weights of arrows strike the shield

“can't you control it? Make them stop!” He screams. I could hear the waves of the arrows passing through the air. The two horses were already stuck dead.

As I focused my mind, I could feel their thoughts, like a tangled web of emotions and desires. I reached out, touching each mind, and slowly, they began to emerge from the trees.

At first, it was just a trickle, a few men stumbling out into the clearing, their eyes glassy and unseeing. But as I continued to exert my control, more and more of them came out, until the clearing was filled with hundreds of men, all standing like zombies, their minds under my control.

I could feel their thoughts, their desires, their fears. And I knew that I could control them, make them do my bidding.

But as I looked out at the sea of faces, I noticed one man who seemed different from the others. He was standing at the back of the crowd, his eyes fixed on Kael and me with a look of horror and despair.

And as I looked deeper into his mind, I realized that he was not under my control. He was the leader, the king, and he was immune to my powers.

As he realized that his men were under my control, he stumbled forward, his eyes fixed on Kael and me with a pleading expression. "Please," he begged, his voice shaking with fear. "Don't kill them. They're not responsible for their actions. I am, I ordered them to!"

Kael's eyes narrowed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice cold and hard.

The man fell to his knees, his eyes fixed on Kael's. "I am King Arin," he said, his voice trembling. "And I am responsible for the actions of my men. Please, spare their lives. I would do whatever you ask me to please"

I looked through his eyes I could see a sense of innocence and sincerity in his eyes.

King Arin is an old white-bearded man with his hair plated from the middle of his head backward, revealing the front bald hair.

His eyes darted back and forth between Kael and me, his face pale with fear. He falls to his knees "P-please, you have to understand," he stammered, his voice shaking. "We're not just mindless attackers..."

“Where are you from!” Kael roared.

“We're...we're the remnants of Brindlemark”

Kael's eyes narrowed, his face darkening. "Brindlemark?" he repeated, his voice cold.

"That's impossible. Brindlemark was destroyed years ago."

King Arin nodded, his eyes welling up with tears. "I-I know. I was there. I was one of the few who survived” he said

“No one survived!” Kael cuts him

He continued “We were just...just five friends who went out with our mates to have a nice time that day, And we came back to find...to find our city desolate. Burned to the ground. Our families, our friends...everyone was dead."

Kael's face softened slightly as if remembering what he had happened in Brindlemark that day, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and understanding.

King Arin took a deep breath, his voice still shaking. "S-since then, we've been living in the woods. We've...we've had children. We've built a new life. But we've never forgotten what happened to us. And we've never forgiven those who did it."

Kael's eyes locked onto King Arin's, his face hardening. "You're talking about the Eastern Coast," he said, his voice cold.

King Arin nodded, his eyes filled with fierce determination. "Yes. We're planning to attack them. To take our vengeance for what they did to us."

I felt a surge of unease, my mind racing with the implications. "King Arin, I understand your desire for revenge," I said, my voice soft and gentle. "But attacking the Eastern Coast will only lead to more bloodshed and suffering–"

“It won't” Kael cuts in, his face turned Cold and cruel “It will only hasten my quest for

Rulership.”

“Zara!” He turned to me, a cold smile still etched on his face “I think we just found ourselves an ally”