Chapter 175: Red Eyes
Tillian tugged the reins of his black stallion, forcing it to stop in front of the forest. He jumped off the horse and threw his large sword into the snow, adding more on top of it as he started kicking his foot around. Sir Stanis followed his example.
Tired, dirty, dripping with sweat, and covered with dried splatters of dark blood, the men had just finished cleaning up the territories, slaying the roaming beasts, and burning their dead bodies.
Stanis grabbed the lower part of his long dark-brown cape attached to the shoulder plates of his black armor and wiped his wet forehead with it, releasing a long, exhausted exhale as he said in a cold tone,
"Damn it... I don’t remember the last time we had to kill so many beasts in one day. Was it really the fire that made them so anxious? They never used to fight like that before. They looked genuinely scared and angry."
Tillian picked up his sword from the pile of snow and started wiping its sharp black blade with his black cloak, mulling over his aide’s observation. He then looked at the tall black wall of the dead forest, gliding his deep red eyes over the massive trees that stood before them like enchanted titans, and shook his head.
"It was probably Aideen’s magic that scared and aggravated them... The creatures are being controlled by the remnants of Navia’s spell, and Aideen’s magic is... was the same as Navia’s. Perhaps they got confused and perplexed as their mana blended together, especially since Aideen started slowly awakening her dragon powers as well.
Now that the forest is half-destroyed, there is not enough space for the beasts to hide, just like there is not enough force to hold them back from leaving its confines... I reckon the next several months will be tough on us."
Sir Nygard let out another heavy sigh, a lot louder this time, which added to the heavy drama of his lord’s words. He then whistled, signaling for the rest of the knights to get ready to depart, mounted his horse, and said,
"Well, the Raven Knights have been feeling somewhat stiff lately; adding a bit more movement to their daily routines will not hurt."