Chapter 66: The Harvest of Rage
The sound of Lidien’s hands gripping and the muffled screams and cries outside could be heard inside the carriage.
Lidien turned around, a sinister smile from ear to ear along with his slitted eyes touching his face.
And in the span of a heartbeat, as he turned back to face them, a single tear was already tracing a path down his cheek.
As the salty taste of the tear reached his lips, he said.
"Wh-why? I offered them freedom! Why did they escape?"
Xyon and Alva didn’t know what to say, and just stayed silent as they remembered from inside the carriage what happened the night the slaves escaped.
Just a few hours after the pre-war celebration, when all of the soldiers were drunk from happiness, and too weak to stop the now freed slaves, even Mad Dog who was intoxicated from drink,
couldn’t stop the riot and theft made by the freed slaves. No one knew who planned it, who incited it, but one thing they knew.
It was Lidien’s fault for freeing them, that almost cost destruction to the soldiers, and total loss of the caravan wagons.
That night, when Xyon wanted to fight and stop the riot, he was stopped by Alva, holding him by his arm and digging her claws into it.
Even Alva, who was more powerful than Xyon and Mad Dog combined, couldn’t help but blindly trust the Prince she had offered her life to.
However, seeing him restless made her realize it was a lapse in his judgment... or so they thought.
Lidien tremblingly exited the carriage followed by Xyon and Alva.
The encampment that was there yesterday had changed to burning ruins of cloth and timbers.
Soldiers cried from pain, even one of them still stopping the bleeding from a splintered wood that got stabbed in his neck.
Hundreds died, thousands survived, but no one was left completely free from the destruction that almost a thousand slaves set free by their leader’s command left behind, leaving them broke and devastated.
Who knew that the celebration to not think of tomorrow would arrive so soon... but only for those who didn’t survive, their unseeing eyes now a landing place for flies.
As the ghost of the past and the Necrotic Essences lingered and cried, Lidien flooded himself with verve, and created his Absorption Vortex above his head that only he could see, absorbing all the Soul and Necrotic Essences born from tragedy.
And then, as he shifted into his Blood Form, he shouted so loud it seemed to shake the very heavens...
"I gave them food... but they stole ours!"
The soldiers one by one looked towards the voice, searching for it behind the ruined debris.
"I gave them protection..."
Lidien spread his hands to the soldiers who had their bloodshot eyes staring at him.
"But they didn’t see the efforts of my soldiers keeping them alive!"
One by one, the soldiers gripped their swords, now... free from any influence of alcohol and desperation.
"I gave them freedom..."
Lidien’s tone subsided, so low that it settled those words in their hearts.
"hoping they would follow our cause."
Then...
He raised his arm with his solid fist as he punched the skies.
"Now! We will take it back! and show them, no matter where they hide, even inside the Bone Orchards or the Dark Wolf Clan... we will find them, and skin them alive!"
"Kill!"
It was only one at first... raising his fist high imitating Lidien...
Then followed by another, then another... till all of the soldiers were screaming, making the air thick with killing intent.
"Now! we March!"
Lidien then pointed ahead, towards the Dark Wolf Clan Territory...
Now... the Soldiers took their first step, Incited by rage and blood, unsure whether they would live or die, at least they could take the promised revenge on those slaves who trampled their pride.
Lidien watched them, as he morphed back cancelling his Blood Form.
"Xyon, I need Mad Dog in my Carriage... Alva, lead ahead... and stop when you see the Dark Wolf Clan Territory."
Xyon and Alva bowed before leaving Lidien to proceed alone back to his carriage.
As he sat at the table staring outside, he sighed then rested his back against the seat, tapping his forehead as he rested his elbow on the carriage wall while his hand lay over his head.
When suddenly the voice of the Monarch of Blood resounded inside his head.
’A brilliant mind, and an actor.’
Lidien smirked, as a small chuckle escaped his lips.
"The strong will never know how to act weak in front of someone weaker than you..."
Lidien then relaxed himself, then spread his verve all over his blood vessels.
Then...
The feeling of a strong suction force engulfed him inside the Dreamflow as he abruptly stopped his own blood flow.
He collapsed to one knee, panting as a wave of nausea twisted his stomach. The world swam before his eyes, the price for such a violent entry into the Dreamflow.
"Reckless child... you really love to play with your life, tell me... what is your secret?"
The Monarch of Blood slowly walked towards him, clapping with amusement.
Lidien laughed, as the thought of stopping his own blood flow was much easier than preparing how Demons stop their heart, a shortcut but powerful way to get inside the Dreamflow by cutting the supply of blood.
"My secret?"
Then he pointed at the Crimson Shard still floating like a sun with its orbiting planets and asteroids.
"Ask the God of Death hiding within it."
The Monarch softly smiled, before pointing at the Rift’s Core, now... slowly letting out its amber strands leaving a dust of sands from inside it.
"Remember, you don’t want that Rift materializing inside here..."
Lidien walked towards it, being careful not to accidentally touch it, even the amber-like threads slowly exuding from it.
"Is there any way to stop its expansion?"
The Monarch of Blood shook his head, before pointing at the starry skies.
"Only they know."
As Lidien traced his fingers pointing upwards, he smirked.
"Why? Are they Gods?"