Chapter 291: Returning Insults
After offering a brief bow, Ignatious turned to the collection of Golden Eyed soldiers who stood at the gate. There were nine in total, six wearing dark green tabards over coats of mail while three wore more ceremonial tunics, each with a number of braided cords over their left shoulders to denote their rank.
Seeing the assembled welcoming party, a faint frown flickered across Nyrielle’s face. Other than Ignatious, there were no vampires present in the honor guard. And while the officers looked impressive, no matter what positions they held in the Tangled Wood, she doubted any of them stood higher than the High Lord’s own progeny.
"Mistress Nyrielle," Ignatious said, his voice rich and smooth like smoke over water as he made introductions. "High Lord Hamdi regrets that he’s unable to receive you directly but he’s sent Commander Stoll of the Dark Wolf Brigade, along with two of his captains to receive you."
"Commander Stoll, is it?" Nyrielle said, her eyes flashing with a midnight blue and darker, shadowy energy. "And which of these captains is your second in command?"
"Lady Nryielle," the commander said, placing his right fist over his heart in a simple salute before gesturing at the man to his right. "Captain Gruen is my..."
Whatever else he’d been about to say cut off in a strangled cry as Nyrielle vanished from sight only to appear a moment later at the commander’s side with her fangs buried deep into his neck. Dark wings unfurled, cloaked in a shadowy energy, unleashing a flurry of feathers formed from the shadows of her wings.
Seven feathers struck out like daggers hurled with unerring precision, each piercing the neck of an armored soldier or the heart of Captain Gruen. Only the final, yet-to-be-introduced captain was spared from the fury of Nyrielle’s assault.
"Ah, ah," Zedya said, stepping forward when she saw the captain reaching for the heavy saber at his hip. Her eyes glowed a brilliant amethyst, completely filling his vision as she advanced on him. "In this world, you are the lucky one who gets to live, but only if you stay still and wait for Mistress Nyrielle to tell you why you were spared. Do you understand?"
"Yes, lady..." the captain said numbly with a glazed look in his eyes.