Chapter 64
Ella's POV
【The Second Day of War】
Brian, Gregory, Zachary, and I—the four of us finally arrived at Dawn Harbor.
The sea breeze carried a briny scent that hit my face. The docks were filled with busy sailors pulling ropes and shouting orders, while massive masts cast long shadows in the morning light.
I stood at the harbor's edge, watching the ships preparing to set sail, a longing stirring in my chest.
Free Haven lay at the southern end of the coastline. If I could just follow this sea route south, I could leave this land behind completely, leave those nightmarish memories behind.
Brian walked beside me while Gregory and Zachary scanned our surroundings alertly. We crossed the bustling docks and entered an inconspicuous tavern.
A wooden sign painted with an octopus hung above the half-open door.
Pushing through, the dim lighting made me squint. About a dozen people sat inside, nearly all wearing heavy cloaks that hid their faces in shadow. No one looked up at us, as if accustomed to strangers' arrivals. Behind the bar stood a half-lizard, half-human beastman, slowly polishing a glass.
Brian approached the bar and asked in a low voice, "When's the next ship to Free Haven?"
The lizard-man lifted his eyelids to glance at him, then pointed to a sign on the wall. "Follow the coastline south and you'll reach Free Haven. But right now..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over us. "War's come. Sea routes could be cut off any day now. You'd better listen to what people here are saying and judge the situation before deciding."
I pricked up my ears, only then noticing several people in the corner discussing something in hushed voices.
Their words came in fragments.
"The Silver Moon Pack is retreating on all fronts."
"I heard even their lead general, that Kane guy, was captured by the Blood River Pack!"
"Silver Moon's finished now."
My heart seized. Kane was captured?
I stood frozen, my mind blank. The crowd in the tavern grew more animated, more people joining the discussion.
Some said Kane's black flames had been stripped away by some Blood River general, others said his fate was now uncertain.
I thought I should be happy, but somehow I couldn't be.
Brian's hand suddenly rested gently on my shoulder.
"Miss," he said quietly, "none of this concerns you anymore. We're leaving soon, going to Free Haven, to a place where no one knows you. You don't need to worry about him anymore."
I wanted to say "yes, I don't care," but my throat felt blocked.
Back then I thought he was my everything, my salvation, my destined mate.
But then what?
Then he destroyed our child for power, married Victoria for a political alliance, treated me as a tool to be discarded at will for his own ambitions.
I hate him! I truly hate him.
But deep in my memories, there's another image—those blue eyes, gentle and steadfast, giving me hope in my most desperate moments.
Those were Julian's eyes.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Let's go," I said softly. "To Free Haven."
Brian nodded and turned to leave.
But just as I took my first step, a hand suddenly rested on my shoulder.
I froze.
The touch wasn't heavy, but it carried a familiar presence.
I slowly turned my head to see a man in a hooded cloak standing behind me. His face was hidden in shadow beneath the hood, but those blue eyes—
"Julian?!" I cried out in surprise.
---
Julian's POV
I was resting in the tavern's corner.
The crowd around me gradually grew restless. I opened my eyes to see several men in worn cloaks gathered together, discussing something excitedly.
"The Silver Moon Pack is retreating on all fronts."
"Kane had his dark flames stripped by Stella and was captured by Blood River."
"I heard his fate is uncertain now."
Kane was captured?
My heart sank as I sat up straight, staring at those men, wanting to hear more clearly.
Their words came in fragments, but enough for me to piece together the general situation—the Silver Moon Pack was losing on the battlefield, Kane had his black flames taken by Stella in their conflict, and his whereabouts were now unknown.
My hands clenched into fists. Damn it. Perhaps I shouldn't have left. I should have stayed there, defending the pack alongside Father. But now... now I couldn't even sense Sage, and the ice element within me was sealed and unusable.
What could I do? What could I still do?
I looked down at the empty glass in my hand, its surface reflecting a blurred image.
Then that reflection suddenly became clear—not my face, but the silhouettes of four other people.
I jerked my head up.
At the tavern entrance, four people were preparing to leave.
Leading them was a tall, golden-haired man, followed by two equally imposing warriors. And among them was a petite figure—
Ella.
Almost instinctively, I stood and strode toward her. My hand landed on her shoulder. She froze, then slowly turned around.
When she recognized my face, those amber eyes widened instantly.
"Julian?!" she cried out.
Before I could speak, the golden-haired man had already positioned himself protectively in front of her, his killing intent pressing toward me without disguise.
I recognized him—Brian, Blood River's Golden Claw General, the man who had nearly killed me in the forest.
The lizard bartender shook a sign hanging above the bar—"No Fighting Inside."
The four of us stood in tense standoff, the air seemingly frozen.
Finally, Brian said coldly, "Outside."
We walked out of the tavern to a relatively secluded spot at the dock's edge. The sea wind howled past, lifting a corner of my hood.
I looked at Ella. She stood behind Brian, pale-faced, her expression complex.
"Ella," I began, my voice more hoarse than expected. "I need your help."
She said nothing, only watching me silently.
"The Silver Moon Pack is at war with Blood River," I continued. "Kane has been captured. Stella stripped away his dark flames, and his fate is now uncertain. I know... I know you hate him, I know he hurt you. But Ella, you have the power of the fire element within you. If you're willing to help—"
"Shut up!" Brian cut me off, fury nearly blazing from his eyes. "You dare mention Kane? He's the one who betrayed the Crimson Flame Warlord! Because of him, we lost our general, lost our homeland! You think I'd let the miss save that traitor?"
I frowned. "General Brian, I know you have misunderstandings about Kane, but—"
"Misunderstandings?" Brian sneered. "When the Crimson Flame Warlord's injuries were leaked, causing that battle to end in a draw—you think that was a misunderstanding? Kane was the informant!"
"No," I shook my head. "I've investigated what happened back then. Kane was just a child at the time. He had neither the capability nor motive to leak intelligence. The real traitor is someone else!"
Brian fell silent for a moment, the fury in his eyes diminishing slightly, but then he said coldly, "Even if the leak is questionable, the fact that he treated our general's daughter as a slave is unforgivable! I absolutely will not allow you to take Ella."
He assumed a fighting stance.
I took a deep breath, looking at Brian. I knew my current condition was terrible, but I couldn't back down.
"Old General," I said calmly, "if I defeat you, will you let Ella come with me?"
"That depends on whether you have the ability!" Brian sneered.
"In a one-on-one fight, I don't necessarily fear you!" I said, slowly raising my hand to touch the Orta Crown atop my head.
A wisp of blue ice energy fell from the crown's blue gemstone into my fingertips, condensing into tiny ice crystals in the air.
"Old General," I looked into Brian's eyes. "Let's begin."