Chapter 579: Blue Rose
The scent of ash filled her nostrils. Stryga sat up in a fitful cough. Sweat covered her skin and her lungs burned with every breath. She looked around, confused. Save for the small patch of flattened grass underneath her, the ground was scorched black up to the nearby grassy hills.
The village was gone. Her army was gone. Ravellan was dead. Lana and Syrak. They were all dead.
A memory of lilac eyes staring down at her flashed in her mind. She grimaced and shook her head. It felt like a nightmare, but here she was, alone, in the ruins of her own people.
She picked up Krikolm and examined the sword. The scarlet sheen was as bright as always, but its sharp edge was blunt where it had failed to cut a god’s neck. The sword had been passed down through the Veres line for the last seven centuries. It was forged by the legendary Ebon Lord Koval himself.
Krikolm was his will forged in steel. His greatest masterpiece. The red blade could cut through steel and enchanted metal as if it were wheat. The Bloodfang was the representation of Veres’ might, a promise to be the Sword that would cut down any danger to the family. And the sword held true. Stryga had never met any foe or obstacle she could not cut down. Until now.
The Ebon gods were real.
All her life she had done everything in the name of her House, for the honor and glory of Veres. She was the heir of Lady Alice, her mother. Stryga made the difficult choices, even when they seemed wrong, because she knew it was necessary for the good of their future. But now… Now she didn’t know.
The Ebon gods walked among them and they were ruthless.
Why was she spared when everyone else was slaughtered?