Chapter 100: Reunited
The night stretched endlessly, unmarred by clouds, the earth bathed in the moon’s silver beams. Seizing the advantage, General Marlon Norse pressed forward, his army moving as a singular tide beneath the starlit sky. He felt his reputation would be at stake if he continued to delay as the thousand cavalry under Amnon had already gone ahead of them.
They only rested for four hours, and before the east brightened, they continued their journey.
By sunrise, the vast host of nine thousand five hundred soldiers and the five members of the elite Eagle Team arrived at the Northem encampment before the town gates—a broad, wind-swept plain known as Gwamuros. They joined the rest of the awaiting forces.
General Odin and Bener stood at the forefront, their sharp eyes raking over the ranks of approaching soldiers, seeking one face—one person.
Then, Odin saw him.
His firstborn, Asael, lay unconscious atop a makeshift sled, his pallor deathly against the rough blankets swaddling his form. The breath hitched in Odin’s chest, his heart seizing in a vice-like grip of anguish. His son—his warrior—reduced to this frail, looking man. The world around him seemed to contract, the battle-hardened general momentarily frozen by the sight.
Beside the sled, Bener swallowed hard, his voice tight with worry as he turned to Kane. "How is my brother?"
Kane’s expression was grim but not without hope. "He had a high fever and was delirious through the night. We administered an herbal remedy, and by some fortune, the fever broke. If no infection sets in, he should wake soon."
Lara, exhausted beyond words, nodded in agreement. Dark shadows framed her eyes, evidence of her near-sleepless journey. Two brief hours of rest had been all she could afford, yet she remained vigilant, tending to Asael as best she could.
Within the camp, a large tent had been transformed into a temporary infirmary, where Asael was carefully transferred to a prepared cot. Lara followed close, carrying a blanket she had stuffed with soft kapok fibers, a small comfort to ease his suffering.
Lara stepped out of the tent, her breath catching as she collided with a solid wall of muscle. The warmth radiating from the towering figure sent a jolt of surprise through her, and she instinctively took a step back, her heart racing as she looked up to meet the intense gaze of the man she saved a few days ago.