A battlefield, the sound of thousands of people moving in retreat, and cheers filled the place as the invaders fled the recent battle.
The barbarians had failed on this day; Hibralt would stand once more as he had a hundred years ago; his walls would not fall; and his soldiers would return home to rest from the conflict after months away from home.
The city of Hibralt, a stronghold that had served for generations, celebrated on this day its victory against the barbarians who sought to destroy the kingdom and devastate its people. The exhausted troops entered through its great gates. The songs and praises rained down on them as they passed through the square in the direction of the castle to present their report to his majesty, and leading them all was the strongest knight in the kingdom.
Luz Noceda, the leader of the army, was in front of her troops, guiding them back to the barracks. Next to her was her adviser, Gus Porter, and on the other side was hers, who would be Edric's future brother-in-law if everything went well.
-Nervous? The green-haired man asked with a smile, "It's not every day you have an audience with his majesty.
Luz sighed before facing him. "I'd be lying if I said no; if only she could do this more often without the need for an invasion or a major event in the kingdom.
- Ha! the circumstances of being the strongest knight in the kingdom, but mother would not expect less from you or from anyone who wants the hand of the princess. Eric said this with a certain drama in his voice.
"At least you have someone waiting for you at home; I, on the other hand, am still alone after all this time," Gus remarked to the prince somewhat exasperated. "If only I had half the charm, one of you wouldn't be alone now.
The counselor sank into his misery, and the atmosphere turned awkward as muffled laughter was heard behind him.
"Don't worry, Gus, one day you will find the right people." The captain tried to comfort him, but only managed to make them laugh behind his back. Luz quickened her pace to reach the entrance of the palace.
Two huge guards guarded the entrance. Wrapped in thick armor, the pair was static as statues, waiting for visitors. "Hello guys!" Luz exclaimed when she saw them. They both looked at her for a few moments before opening the heavy door that led into the castle.
One entered and guided her through the corridors to the throne area. It was a silent journey by the guard, and she had many questions on her side to which she did not receive an answer throughout the tour.
Her voice indicated strongly and firmly to Luz, and there she was, the reason why she strived every day to be better, the reason to fight tirelessly against the hordes of barbarians who sought to destroy them, and by her side, Odalia, Queen of Hibralt and mother of Princess Amity.
"Congratulations, Captain Noceda, once you have successfully defended our borders from those dirty barbarians." The queen congratulated her with a smile, but Luz could notice a certain discontent that she had survived the encounter.
"Everything is for peace, Queen Odalia-Luz responded with a bow. A small click could be heard in the room; she didn't need to look up to know who she was.
The hatred Queen Odalia felt towards her was something everyone knew well but no one mentioned—a resentment that had been building ever since her mother had been named captain.
Luz knew it, but she didn't care at all; she looked up from her to face the queen and her princess, Queen Odalia. I have fulfilled my mission successfully. Can I expect you to keep your word? -
Odalia looked at her daughter and her son peeking out from the door before fixing her gaze on her. With a little effort, she smiled at Luz: "Of course, Captain Luz, I gave you my word," and the queen lost her smile for a moment and sighed. Defeated. I guess I have to stick to it. Come to the stairs, Captain Luz.
Odalia commanded as she rose from her throne and lowered herself to her level, snapping her fingers, and a servant brought a ceremonial sword. - Luz Noceda, captain of the knights of Hibralt, touched her right shoulder with the sword, and the strongest warrior in the entire kingdom touched Luz's left shoulder with the sword, and under the oath I made to the stars and with the spirit of ancient kings as witnesses of my word, I will give you the hand of my daughter, Princess Amity, in marriage.
The sword passed between both shoulders again before finally touching Luz's head.
Luz said, raising her gaze to see the queen, but she passed by her side, murmuring things that Luz could only half catch. "There goes one less chance of having grandchildren," was what she managed to understand before hearing the crash of the door closing and being knocked to the ground by the princess.
Luz felt like the happiest woman in the world except for the princess at that moment. "Nothing could go wrong now," she said to herself as Amity approached her to kiss her and recover all the time they had been apart while away from Hibralt. What would be one of the biggest blows for all the inhabitants of the kingdom was brewing.
In the forests, hidden among their branches, the tribes of barbarians were gathered, discussing the defeat they had suffered at the hands of the kingdom's army.
The wisest, oldest, and most seasoned of them were sitting around a large fire. Insults and shouts flooded the leaders' tent as they blamed each other for the defeat.
It's enough! The voice of the supreme leader silenced them all. Belos the beast had entered the tent, and all eyes were fixed on what had once been the greatest warrior of the barbarians, but now he was only a small old man having to lean on a cane to walk.
The old man looked at them before taking a step further into the tent. "You are all better than this; no one here is guilty of this defeat," his voice rang out in the room.
Our defeat was caused by our blind confidence in our strength; our arrogance has cost us the lives of hundreds of our brothers. Let's take this as a lesson and prepare the way to victory! For our brothers!—Belos finished raising his cane.
The shouts of euphoria broke out in the tent, and its spirit soon spread to the rest of the camp. Belos smiled, satisfied with his work, and left the place to return to his own tent. Outside, a young man with blond hair and a couple of scars was waiting for him. They adorned his face and other parts of his body.
Lord Belos, how was the meeting? The young man asked the old man, and Belos smiled and caressed the boy's head. "It was spectacular, Hunter; our brothers in arms have recovered their spirits after the defeat in the siege.
Belos replied, starting to walk with Hunter at his side: "But that's already in the past, Hunter; come with me to my tent; there are things I want to talk about with you in private." The old man emphasized the latter, and Hunter swallowed worriedly, thinking what kind of things his uncle wanted to talk to him about.
They both walked through the crowd of people who were celebrating as if it were their last day of life, ignored the noise, and finally entered the tent where Belos was resting.
"Take a seat while I serve both of us a drink," the old barbarian ordered his nephew, and without further questioning the old man's intentions, Hunter took a seat. Belos approached the table after a few moments. On one of his hands, the young man noticed the figure of a bottle, but on the other, a long object was dragged by the old man.
Belos looked at his nephew for a moment before serving him and himself a drink. Both drank from their respective glasses without saying much, until Belos decided to break the silence. Do you know why I called you here tonight? I just know that you want to talk to me about something.
Hunter shook his head, curious but confused at the same time by how cryptic he was being his uncle: "No, Lord Belos, I don't know the reason for this meeting.
Belos smiled and let his words fall on the boy: "I'm getting old, Hunter; I don't know how many more winters I have to live under my belt." The old man let out a sigh with a melancholy tone: "You are the only one of my relatives who still cares for me. remain in this world.
The old man took Hunter's hands in his and said, "That's why I want to see you before my soul departs into the great darkness with a good woman in your arms and..." Belos began to cough violently, letting go of Hunter's hand and falling to the ground.
"Uncle Bellos!" Hunter shouted, running next to Belos to help him. Belos took his hand again and approached him. "Hunter, promise me that you will find someone before I die.
Hunter nodded at his uncle's pleading tone, helping him up and to his bed. It was quite clear to Hunter that Belos wasn't lying when he told him that he had little time; maybe it wouldn't take more than two winters for him to die.
Leaving the tent, Hunter felt his spirits drop rapidly at the idea that his only relative would die in a short time. He took a deep breath and decided to focus on what was important now: fulfilling his promise to his uncle.
"If only it were that easy," he told himself when he got to his shop. All the girls in his tribe were mostly far from what his uncle wanted for him. As the heir to the position of leader, there would be no shortage of people interested in taking advantage of him if the opportunity arose.
"It can't be someone from my tribe." The boy meditated for a moment, his gaze on the roof of the store as sleep began to take over him. In his mind, he worked to find the solution to his problem before falling asleep, unable to find it.
The arrival of a new one was announced on both sides at sunrise. Luz Noceda woke up with a smile while she saw next to her the figure of her beloved; the jade green of her hair was illuminated by the light that entered from the balcony. "Good morning, my princess," he murmured in Amity's ear as her fingers played with a lock of her hair and she gently nibbled on the princess's ear.
"Good morning, my knight in shining armor," answered the princess between yawns, approaching her to kiss her as he had done all night before. The pair of lovers melted into a deep and long kiss that seemed to never end until someone knocked on her door.
Luz jumped up and took her uniform changing as fast as she could. "I hope it's important because I'm losing." Hey Brick, friend, long time no see. Luz's annoyed tone changed when she saw who was on the other side of the door: the other armored ship that protected the entrance to the castle and one of her superiors.
I looked at her for a moment before responding: "The queen wants to see you; don't make her wait." Her voice boomed out and she sent her message to Luz. - I understand, big man; just let me fix myself up a bit.
Luz asked the giant, and he nodded his head instead of answering with words, turning around to give the couple space and privacy. Luz let out an annoyed sigh. "What a way to ruin such a perfect morning," Luz muttered, wondering if she could want her mother-in-law right now.
Life is never fair; it gives us and takes away the things we most yearn for in many cases. Luz did not want to hear it; she did not want to accept it, but that was the reality that she had to live now.
The barbarian clans have decided to make one last attempt to conquer our walled city; the bastion that has resisted for generations is what they want to destroy. Every available troop that those brutes managed to gather is marching towards us to meet with the rest of the barbarians who are waiting to start a siege of our fortress city. Odalia explained, her gaze then fixed on Captain Luz.
I'm sorry to have to ask you this, Captain Luz, but I must order you once to lead our troops against the enemy as she has done up to now. Queen Odalia said that her head was tilted, hiding her face, but Luz could swear that she saw her smile for an instant.
"I understand your majesty; my troops will march to battle against the invaders." Luz responded by bowing and walking out of the room to plan her strategy against them.
The signs of war began to be seen as the days went by; huge walls of light and smoke were seen every night, the forests becoming brighter until the night before the great battle, when the forest lit up as if it were day. An overwhelming number of them gathered that night, and she could only feel afraid of what would await her tomorrow.
Luz walked to the princess's bedroom with only one thing in mind: it's okay; it could be the last with her, and she planned to make every second count.
The troops were marching now, hidden under the thick mist that the morning provided. The sound of their footsteps made the ground rumble where they passed, and only that was heard around them as they advanced further and further. "Where is everyone? Luz wondered, and then an arrow passed by her and the groan of pain from a soldier and then another began to fill the room.
"Troops advance and kill!" Luz roared her order when she saw the first of those bastards, and the rumble of a thousand men increased in a moment; the battle had begun. Hibralt's army began their fight, the clash of steel now filling the area as well as the smell of iron and something else he didn't recognize permeating the air along with the mist.
Luz advanced, cutting left and right; high and low all fell under the steel of the sword, and in the distance, Belos watched the scene unfold, her gaze fixed on the advance of the army of the kingdom, which little by little was gaining ground.
A fervor flooded Hibralt's troops; with each step they managed to snatch from the invaders, their hearts jumped with joy; they could already feel victory approaching and knocking on their door. "It's so easy, too easy," Luz thought to herself. Seeing how little resistance the kingdom's enemies offered, I thought, "This can't be that easy." And he was right.
Belos gave the order to blow the horn and give the signal to the archers. After the sound of the instrument, a small rain of arrows fell on them, and a pillar of flames formed where each one fell. Soon walls of fire began to form, and chaos began to reign among the troops as hundreds of barbarians jumped from the branches armed with hammers, ignoring the shields and wreaking havoc and destruction on the confused troops.
Troops fall back! Luz yelled with all her might, but no one seemed to hear her: "Group and repel; don't leave your back uncovered." Luz yelled a new order; internally, she cursed herself for not giving the order before.
The barbarians had surrounded their troops; some soldiers refused to surrender but were repelled by the barbarians, who, holding shields, deflected their blows with great force. Little by little, the army was retreating to the limits of the forest.
Luz was able to notice once they left the forest, and with the ascension of the sun in the sky, the magnitude of the barbarian troops. Thousands of invaders poured out of the mist in the forest, like locusts pouring out of it.
But none of them took another step out of the forest; they had all stopped shortly after leaving. Luz didn't understand why until an old man came out of the forest, her gaze scanning her troops until he fixed her gaze on her and walked a little in her direction.
Luz Noceda, I have heard things about you; you are the strongest knight in the kingdom and the youngest person in the kingdom to be named captain. Belos addressed these words to her. I'm a little disappointed that you've fallen into a trap like this.
You have come to make fun. What do you want!" Luz demanded, and Belos son rio
And I'm supposed to be the wild one. Belos laughed even more. Her hand reached into her pocket, and she pulled out a sealed paper. "I have a proposal for your kingdom, but you can't see it, not now, maybe later.
Belos walked towards her before being stopped by Edric. "Wow, but if it's the prince, it's good to see that royalty doesn't have a problem getting their hands dirty from time to time. Take this to your mother," she said, her hand extended towards him. the prince. - Do not fear this poor old man, who only wants to extend an olive branch to your people.
Edric hesitated for a moment before snatching the paper from the old man's hands. "Read it, come on, prince, satisfy your curiosity," Belos prompted the prince. Edric saw the contents of his heart and felt the anger begin to build up inside him.
"The queen would never accept this! Edric exclaimed, brandishing his sword towards Belos. A couple of barbarians prepared to defend the old man, but he stopped them.
Just carry the message. I promise that I will fulfill what is written in it, win or lose. Only one person will not return home this day. Thank you—Belos leaned slightly to highlight his proposal.
Edric felt his body tremble with the rage that this provoked in him, but he gritted his teeth and turned his back to go towards Luz. "What does the paper say? She asked, and Edric looked away from her for a moment before facing her.
They are asking for a duel between you and one of his best warriors. If you win, they will let us all go, and they will offer a peace treaty for the next fifty years.
"And if I lose?" Luz asked. Edric's gaze darkened for a moment, and Luz saw the prince's face tremble. Edric, tell me what will happen if I lose. Her hands held the prince's face.
They will take you as their prisoner, and the peace treaty will only be for twenty years. If you refuse to duel, they will kill us all. "Edric exclaimed in exasperation; the tone of his voice revealed the fear he felt at that moment.
Luz felt her knees weaken when she heard this. If she lost, she would not see Amity again; if she refused, they would all die. The weight of responsibility began to pile on her back. She brought them; she failed to notice the trap; she could still save them. "I owe them," Luz said in her head.
He took her sword and leaned on it to get up, walked to Belos, and faced him. "You promise to let them go if I accept the duel." Her sword pointed at the neck of the old warrior, who didn't flinch and pushed the blade away with his hand.
"You have my word, Captain Noceda, and to prove it, I will let half of them go; the most wounded, the most tired, and those who need attention can go now." Belos waved his hands, and the barbarians parted to make way for the troops.
They all passed by Luz; they all wished her luck, thanked her for her efforts, or simply gave her a word of encouragement as they headed back home.
When all of them left, Luz turned to face Belos and asked, "Where is your warrior? She inquired and hissed with her wrinkled lips. The barbarians parted to make way for her rival, a barbarian with a large helmet from which small blond locks peeked out. The warrior walked to where she was, and Belos whispered something in his ear.
"It's perfect." She managed to hear the voice of the warrior when responding to Belos, who moved away from them and snapped her fingers, making the barbarians form a circle around her and the warrior she had to face in order to return home.
Both now in the middle of the circle began to spin without losing sight of the other, analyzing their opponent for any sign of weakness, until they stopped, satisfied to find nothing, drew their swords, and threw themselves into combat. for the kingdom and for Princess Amity! Give me the strength to win today, princess.
Luz screamed from the depths of her being because today love would triumph.
And that's the story of how I met your father and ended one of the biggest wars on the continent. Luz finished his story, and I'll tell you the rest another day.
Bueno aqu está esta historia ahora en ingles, del traductor Google.
Haber que tal cuela en la comunidad de ingles.
Si tienen más dudas por favor dejenlas en la caja de comentarios y responderé lo mejor que pueda, no spammen lumity por favor y gracias.