Chapter 553: Family Part 1
Even now the scent of smoke and blood was thick in the air. A quarter of the Commoner District had burned to the ground during the siege, and another half had been ransacked or reduced to rubble by the trebuchet bombardments. By the time Stryg and his sisters had made it past the bridge and into the Trade District, he could practically taste the ash and blood on his tongue.
The faint voices of the mourning carried on the wind and Stryg’s sharp ears picked it up. From the grim looks on Melantha and Holo, so had they.
“This was the sort of thing we wanted to avoid when we founded the Mortem Order, needless violence,” said Holo.
“Wasn’t the Mortem Order found in the Realm of War?” recalled Stryg.
“Precisely. It was one of the reasons he chose the Scarlet Realm.”
“But the Mortem Order was feared by all?”
“Sometimes fear is the best tool to end wars. Fear of losing what you love. Fear of death. You’d be surprised how quickly angry warlords calm down when they realize they are about to die.”
Stryg nodded in understanding. “The power of mages and the family of Death. It must have been terrifying. Not to mention the army of beastkin.”
“The beastkin weren’t an army, they weren’t warriors,” Holo said with an edge to her voice.