163 Chapter 16No one was safe from Artodo’s flas that day, even Cregan’s n burned because Artemis mistook them for Aryan’s. If the sun had co out then mayhaps Artemis would have realized that Aryan’s n wore golden cloaks with lions on their backs. While Cregan Lawsend’s n wore blue, the color of House Lawsend.
The screams of n burning alive could be heard all over Lawsend’s City and the n who were waiting in the green battlefield for Cregan to appear, suddenly turned back and raced towards the city to see for themselves what was going on. There was no need for torches in order to see, Artodo’s flas brought the light needed for the n to see while it burned them.
In just a matter of two minutes, Aryan’s n laid down in front of Cregan’s castle completely burned and black ─ almost forty thousand of them. This was a huge loss to Aryan and she had never lost such amount of n in wars before, she marched with fifty thousand knights from the Raven, gained twenty thousand good folks along the way ─ and for what? To see all of them burn like roasted at?
Experts of battles blad Aryan for allowing all sixty thousand n including the untrained good folks who volunteered to storm inside Lawsend’s City anwhile she had no idea as to how many n Cregan Lawsend had at the green battlefield where his n were waiting for her. It was a clever plan if she were to succeed, yet it was the most stupid plan because that’s when she fed all of them to Artodo’s wrath.
Lord Tommy and Lord Criston High Rise didn’t survive the carnage when the flas ca up and burned their hiding place. Aryan herself was nearly put to flas if it wasn’t for Sir Thomas and Sir Tyriol, her Lord Commander. “We need to fall back! Fall back and race towards the sea” Sir Thomas scread at his n while he ran away trying to obscure Aryan from the flas and enemies who wanted to run her down.
Artemis showed no sign of stopping, and neither did Artodo. The whole castle of Lord Cregan burned to the ground and within it his n and Aryan’s n with it. Most of the n hid inside the castle because they thought the dragon wouldn’t burn it, and this was their mistake because as soon as Artodo ca upon them ─ no one survived.
Cregan Lawsend was still inside the temple as he watched his city burn from the top story of the building. There was never a day Cregan was so happy like that day, and he scread with joy “Burn them, burn all of them” as if Artemis could hear him. “I knew he’d co for , I knew it” and this he said it to his n.
A small boat was waiting for Aryan, Sir Thomas and Sir Tyriol as they barely made it out of the city. So of the n who also made it out of the city wanted to protect their Queen, however Thomas urged them to find their way back to the capital. “What if the dragon turns to the capital?” the n asked with fear on their eyes.
Not only was Raven the most populated city in Prophis with over one million people ranging from rich rchants to whores in their brothels, but also these n had families in Raven and that’s why they were scared. Lawsend’s City was just a small slice comparing to the whole Raven, and hence that begged a question. “Can a dragon burn a huge city such as Raven?” but no one asked the question.
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Sir Thomas had lost all hope of ever saving the city from the wrath of the dragon and that’s because he knew it better. He just wanted to take Aryan back to the palace and safe in her throne, and from there they will discuss matters of the war but not before then. Hence they abandoned their own n to the flas, the archers who hid in the mountains and hills were the only ones who survived when the sun rose.
Seventy thousand n including ten thousand n who wore Lawsend’s colors laid down in front of the castle and all over Lawsend’s City dead and turned black, like a soot and hard like a dry wood. This war which gained the na “Wrath of Artodo” was the biggest massacre ever.
Not even Battle of Stonedance ca close to the number of people who died just before the sun rose. Houses were destroyed, food savings were put to torch and the market square and brothels and luxurious inns had all turned to ashes. Thousands of wagons full of treasures and goods all burned right in front of Aryan as she was forced to watch her wealth crumbling down right before her eyes, the sun ca out just to show in clear daylight the destructions Artemis brought towards Aryan’s army.
Even the lions burned like chickens that day, all three of them and if it wasn’t for Sir Thomas to advise Aryan early on in sending back the seven cubs ─ then Aryan would have lost everything that day not just her army.
This day Artemis never ca down as he preferred the view from above, he was later recorded to have said this to his secret council eting that he preferred to look at the burned dead bodies from above as if to admire the work of his dragon. As soon as he was done, he patted his dragon’s back and slowly whispered “Valar” and made his way back to Maldonia.
When it was all said and done, eighty thousand n in blue cloaks stood outside of what was once the gates of the city but now completely destroyed by flas. They were all unhorsed and seed exhausted after running from the green battlefield to now a completely destroyed city where only few buildings stood. One of those buildings which remained was the temple and that’s where Cregan Lawsend hid himself throughout the war.
When the dragon flew away Cregan scread for Artemis to wait for him, maybe to just say a thank you or perhaps he wanted Artemis to fly him away from his enemies but it was all too late. “I’ll journey to Blackmount at once and say my thanks to my friend. I need that trip organized” Cregan gave an order.
However, when he ca outside of the temple and saw how ruined his city was, and all the dead bodies which were scattered all over the city, Cregan knew there was no coming back from that. Artodo may have saved him from death but he sure didn’t save the city when he completely burned it and alongside it; his enemies.
Even the eighty thousand n were stunned as to what happened to their city. They hadn’t seen the dragon because when they arrived, Artemis was already gone. But the destruction left behind could only be caused by a flying creature breathing flas from above.
A very close friend of Cregan decided to ask “What do we do now my Lord?” as they walked through bodies and fallen houses and buildings. Cregan was speechless in terms of what he’d lost, but he was filled with gratitude that at least he was still alive and so was his vault where he hid most of his wealth.
“If I keep staying here I will be dead co dusk. That bitch will never stop until she avenges her brother…” said Cregan and then he bent down and picked a stone which seed to have fallen from his castle. “We must all leave, the city is dead” he finished with a somber tone knowing the good days had finally co to an end.
“What about your n, all eighty thousands of them who stood waiting for you in the green battlefield?” This ti a question was anonymous since it was asked by a man in the back line who seed to have taken quiet a beating from the fight.
“I give them my thanks and gratitude, I saved their lives for sending them there. It’s because of they escaped the wrath of the dragon, and they are bound to serve for eternity. Only this ti, we sail to Lydia and find our position over there, we move in an hour” this was an order and his n followed.
Cregan truly intended to leave behind his sacked city for better daylight and a bright future. His n sailed first to Lydia after they had packed whatever was necessary to them while Cregan made a journey to Blackmount, this was mainly because he wanted to give his appreciation to Artemis for what he did.
Apart from having an army, Cregan also had his own fleet of ships and he thanked the gods his fleet wasn’t put to torch. One thousand ships awaited him and his n to sail away towards a new beginning, who knows what city they will raid and take it for themselves. It could be Lydia or if they were strong enough, then maybe even Penrith or Arkala. This was to be discussed after Cregan cos back from Blackmount, for now his only priority was to et up with Artemis.
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