Chapter 35

I n KySyene, the war effort charged the air with electric energy.

Blacksmiths worked without rest at their forges, crafting weapons and armor for the soldiers. Merchants loaded their carts with supplies, ready to transport them to the front lines.

In the distance, the sound of marching feet and clashing swords rang out as the army trained for the battles to come.

Liana strode through the winding streets of the border city, her sword at her hip and her head held high.

The cobblestones echoed under her boots as she passed the colorful stalls and storefronts that made up the city’s heart.

Despite the looming threat, life went on, and Liana drew energy from the resilience of her people.

‘My lady,’ a voice called out.

Liana turned to see a woman approaching, a basket of fresh-baked bread on her side. ‘Please, take this. You’ll need your strength in the days to come.’

Liana accepted the loaf with a grateful smile, the warm, yeasty scent filling her nostrils. ‘You have my thanks. I will not forget this kindness,’ she said.

As she made her way through the city, Liana was met with similar scenes at every turn. Merchants pressing gifts into her hands, children clamoring to glimpse their Kwen? , and the elderly offering blessings and prayers for her success.

‘We stand with you, warrior,’ a grizzled old man called out, his eyes shining with fierce pride. ‘Ilkan will never yield to the K?str?ls. Not while we still draw breath.’

‘ Nada , we will not submit,’ she told him with a confident smile, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. ‘Ilkan will fight. And Ilkan will triumph.’

She strode on, her Shadowing bodyguards trailing as she made the rounds to reassure her people.

However, her mind drifted to Kaxim, now leading his warriors in the skies, flying toward the K?str?l forces.

The plan was dangerous, but Kaxim’s aerial raids were legendary for their precision and brutality. If anyone could pull off such a daring maneuver, it was him.

When Kaxim fought, their khamana connection flared.

Liana sensed his sword flashing in battle, even this far away from him.

She was riveted by the surge of his strength and fierce power he wielded, feeling every strike and roar as if she were beside him.

But it was more than just a connection of feelings.

Their soul bond was intimate, almost spiritual. It allowed them to share thoughts and emotions without expressing them.

At times, it was overwhelming—when Kaxim was angry, the storm of his sentiments would bleed into Liana’s mind, making her heart race with the intensity of his rage.

She jolted as she sensed him in the thick of battle, and with a deep inhale, she said a prayer. Stay safe, my love.

The besieged city of Kaswa lay in the distance, its white spires and minarets glinting in the early dawn.

Glancing at it, one would conclude it was a beautiful burgh.

Yet it was under K?str?l invasion, its streets teeming with fear and anxiety.

The invading army had camped north of the city’s gates, where the stealth-flying Sāb?r Hawk squadron winged toward.

Kaxim flew close over the enemy camp, a zephyr whipping through his hair as he and his militants descended like a storm from the sky.

His wings beat with power, and his eyes gleamed with fierce ominousness.

Below him, the K?str?l soldiers were in disarray, their encampment thrown into chaos by the sudden attack.

‘Kuvu! Kuvu! Strength for the battle,’ he called, raising his weapon into the sky.

His horse cry was enough to galvanize his Hawks.

‘KUVU! KUVU! Power to prevail!’

‘Strike fast!’ Kaxim roared, his voice carrying over the wind. His warriors dove, swords flashing in the fading light as they cut through the rival lines.

Kaxim himself landed amid the K?str?l command, sword raised high.

He moved like a force of nature, slicing through armor, plumage, and bone with terrifying precision. The K?str?ls had no chance to regroup, their formations crumbling as Kaxim’s raid sent shockwaves through their ranks.

But even as he fought, his thoughts flickered to Liana.

This battle wasn’t just about protecting Ilkan—it was about her. He clashed for her, for the kingdom they were trying to rebuild together.

With a final sweep of his blade, Kaxim glanced up at the heavens, knowing the moment was near.

He raised his hand, signaling his warriors to fall back, their ambush complete. It was time for Liana’s forces to strike.

‘I’ll send the Queen the word she’s waiting for,’ he growled to Kaadin. ‘Order the Hawks to hold the perimeter of the city.

Kaxim closed his eyes and sent a bolt of energy through the soul tether with his woman.

Sahasí?

The sky had darkened when Liana returned to her k?lajan .

She’d just shed her weapons and placed them on the war council room table, milling with generals and advisors, when Ja’Kan rushed into the tent, breathless. ‘Commander Kaxim has engaged the enemy! His raid is causing chaos among their ranks.’

Liana’s heart leaped, though she kept her face composed.

Just then, their spirit bond flared, and she received her message from Kaxim.

Sahasí?

My love?

Kaswa’s walls are secured. Please finish this.

On my way.

She shut her eyes, listening to her soul connection before opening them.

‘It’s time,’ she murmured.

Swiveling to face Sheka and Katánian, her voice took a hard edge. ‘Prepare for the assault. Move the troops into position.’

Drawing her sword, Liana raised it high. The blade flashed with scarlet kríffin fire.

‘For Ilkan!’ Liana cried. ‘For the freedom to soar our skies!’

‘Freedom to soar our skies!’

A roar rose from beyond the royal bivouac as her warriors took the call.

Liana smiled grimly.

KaKos was about to face her wrath.

Liana flew at the head of her army, the thunder of wings echoing above the stricken city of Kaswa.

Her crimson kríffin plumage was wreathed in phoenix flames and lightning bolts as she surged toward the K?str?l-occupied metropolis before them.

Kaswa lay in ruin. Smoke twisted into the sky like a dark omen.

The once proud walls of the municipality had crumbled and scorched, and the distant cries of battle pierced through the haze of falling ashes.

Liana’s heart thundered in her chest as she rode through the chaos, her cloak whipping in the wind.

Ahead, the portal of Kaswa stood on the verge of collapse, rattling under the weight of Kaxim’s relentless assault.

His squadrons of fierce hawks and falcons dove and swooped with lethal precision, cleaving down the K?str?ls. His formidable warriors carved through the enemy ranks with terrifying speed.

As Liana neared the shattered city gates, she spotted her warrior, the Mighty Sky Ash, with his wings outstretched and his sword gleaming in the smoke-filled air.

He was covered in the grime of battle, blood staining his armor.

His dark hair was matted with sweat, but there was no mistaking the ferocious silver light in his eyes.

‘Kaxim!’ Liana called, her voice cutting through the din of the battlefield.

He turned at the sound of her husky utterance, his intense gaze locking onto her with a wry smile.

She landed, half transmuting, and ran toward him, dodging fallen debris and broken bodies.

She fell into his arms when she reached him, sighing as he pulled her close and gave her a long, lingering kiss.

‘Hell, you’re a sight for sore eyes, kavisi ,’ Kaxim rasped.

She drew back and flicked her eyes over him. ‘So are you lover. Some might think someone beat you up,’ she teased.

Her fingers lingered on his arm longer than they needed to, but the warmth of his skin beneath the cold steel of his armor grounded her.

‘Fokk you. I just cleared the way for you.’

She pressed her lips to his cheek. ‘Where would I be without your brawn and sheer fury, Djuik ?’

‘You’d better believe it, woman, the fokkin’ things I do for you.’

He leaned in to whisper into her ear. ‘How I make you cum.’

They exchanged soft, longing looks until Liana sobered up. ‘We need to push through the city and make a final stand. The people are counting on us.’

Kaxim nodded, his jaw tight. ‘We will. But it won’t be easy. KaKos has fortified the central plaza. His warriors are entrenched, and the K?str?ls won’t surrender without blood.’

‘Then we’ll give them what they want,’ Liana said. Her face hardened as she stepped back, eyes scanning the ruined streets. ‘We have no choice.’

Kaxim’s gaze softened, his fingers brushing hers before he turned to his men, his voice booming with authority. ‘Prepare to breach the square! We break through their lines and take KaKos down. Fight with honor, fight for your queen, and do not stop until we’ve secured this city. Kuvu!’

A chorus of shouts answered him as his combatants took to the skies again, wings flashing against smoke and fire.

Liana’s eyes tracked them as they ascended, a sight both awe-inspiring and terrifying, turning to Kaxim. ‘Let’s end this.’

Together, they stormed the streets of Kaswa, cutting a bloody path through the K?str?l forces.

Liana fought alongside her man, her sword a blur of steel as she cleaved through her adversaries.

Every step forward was met with resistance, but with Kaxim at her side, they pushed onward, inching closer to the city’s heart.

The sounds of battle filled the air—swords clashing, arrows whistling through the smoke, the guttural cries of the dying.

Above them, Kaxim’s warriors dove from the sky, their talons slashing through enemy ranks, scattering the K?str?ls like leaves in a storm.

‘Stay close!’ Kaxim shouted over the din, his sword cutting down another foe as he moved beside her. ‘We’re almost there!’

Liana had a thought. ‘Wait,’ she called to her husband. ‘I have an idea.’

She leaned in and whispered hastily into his ear.

He listened, his lips curling at her suggestion. ‘That’s fokkin mad,’ he growled. ‘But I like it.’

He whirled away, roaring at his men. ‘ Sāb?r Hawks, fall back. We’ll linger in the shadows and let the Kwen? and her squad of Ilki warriors advance first.’

Liana nodded, eyes locking with his as she jerked her chin before turning into the fray.

Kaxim and his kízíndunas flew away from her, disappearing into the gloom of the city’s towers and minarets.

She was on her own, for now.

Her breath came in ragged gasps as Sheka and his unit joined her. With a fierce battle cry, the Ilkanite forces surged forward, crashing through the hastily assembled barricades.

Liana swung her sword in broad arcs, cutting down K?str?l soldiers left and right. Her warriors fought with equal ferocity, driven by loyalty to their queen and a burning desire to reclaim what was theirs.

The K?str?ls were overwhelmed, their defenses crumbling under the relentless onslaught. Liana led the charge into the city’s heart, where she came face to face with the K?str?l major, a young Katánian with defiance on his face.

‘Surrender now,’ she demanded, leveling her blade at his throat, ‘and I may show mercy.’

The commander spat at her feet. ‘K’Ribi would rather die than bow to an Ilki witch!’

Liana’s eyes narrowed. ‘So be it.’

With a swift thrust, she ran him through, watching as he crumpled to the ground.

On she fought until, at last, Kaswa’s central square loomed ahead, a battleground littered with the dead and dying.

A coil of dread tightened in her gut. She peered across the battered plaza, shielding her eyes against the shimmering heat haze.

Even though she’d been expecting it, her heart lurched at the sight that greeted her.

Arrayed on the edges and outskirts of the immense square, bristling with spears and shields, stood rank upon rank of K?str?l soldiers.

At their head, his massive hawk wings spread out was the unmistakable form of KaKos himself, his black armor glinting beneath the relentless sun.

His face twisted into a sneer as he saw them approach, his dark eyes gleaming with malice.

KaKos surveyed the battlefield, noting the number of Liana’s forces as she flew toward him.

A satisfied smile tugged at his lips.

The Ilkanite queen’s squadron was smaller than he anticipated, and they looked worn and weary from their vigorous campaign.

This would be easier than he thought.

‘She played right into our hands,’ he remarked to his lieutenant. ‘Station the spear carriers on the ramparts and prepare them to sweep around their flanks. We’ll crush her and her meager contingent against these walls like bugs.’

As his men hastened to carry out his orders, KaKos relaxed.

His victory was all but assured. He had outmaneuvered Liana, and this battle would seal Ilkan’s fate.

Already, he envisioned himself marching triumphantly through the streets of Kaswa and then onto KySyene and Ilkana.

The Kingdom of the Ilki would be his, its industry his, and its wealthy trade routes too, giving him a massive advantage over Killen and the traitors of Katánē.

Like the roar of a thousand angry leviathans, a distant clamor intruded upon his reverie.

KaKos frowned, scanning the horizon.

A great host was gathering there, cresting a rise beyond Liana’s principal force.

Sunlight glinted off steel, and the gold and chrome banners of the Sāb?r Hawks snapped in the wind.

A figure he knew all too well flew at their head - Sky Ash, his nemesis.

‘Fokk!’ he roared, seeing crimson. ‘Reinforcements,’ KaKos snarled, a cold knot of dread forming in his gut. ‘Sound the alarm! Form up the legions!’

But it was too late. With an earth-shaking roar, the Sāb?r Hawks surged toward him.

They smashed into the K?str?l lines like thunderbolts, buckling their formations and driving deep into their ranks.

At the same instant, Liana raised her sword and uttered an ululating war cry. Her army, cast as anvil to Kaxim’s hammer, charged with renewed vigor. The trap’s jaws snapped shut around KaKos’s forces with devastating finality.

Cursing his complacency, KaKos drew his blade and spurred his charger forward. The battle was far from over, but a grim certainty took root in the frozen recesses of his darkened heart.

Damn, the Sāb?r Hawks! Those bustard-bushtit-bogsuckers had the potential to cost him everything.

He had nothing left in his arsenal but the kízakan he’d siphoned from Mount Karth moons ago during the Battle of Katánopolis.

It’d have to be fokkin’ enough.