Chapter 74: Loyalty (I)

  [Time Plane Memory #5]

  General Karl Kaelstrife strode through the royal courtyard, his pace furious as he made his way toward the palace gates.

  His face was hardened by age, a deep scar running from his forehead to his jaw, cutting beneath his left cheek – a terrifying war scar. Despite being away from the battlefield, he was still wearing his battle armor.

  Behind him, his Major, holding a familiar helm in his hand, struggled to keep up.

  “General, are you certain this is wise?” The concern in his voice was evident.

  “No, Nilson.” Kaelstrife replied curtly. “But I no longer care. Not anymore.”

  He didn’t slow – not even as they reached the palace’s grand entrance. It was guarded by two guards in armored suits, their hands tightening on their weapons as the towering general approached.

  When he got close enough, they recognized him and saluted on instinct.

  “At ease.” Kaelstrife muttered, impatient. “Let me in.”

  One of the guards hesitated. “General Kaelstrife, we were not informed that you had an audience planned with His Majesty.”

  “Consider yourself informed.” Kaelstrife said, his tone sharp. “Let. Me. In.”

  The guards exchanged heavy glances. They were about to object again when Kaelstrife cut through the air like thunder.

  “If you know what’s good for you – stand aside.”

  That did it.

  The man’s presence was unbelievable.

  The guards swallowed hard, then hurriedly pushed open the grand doors.

  Kaelstrife stepped through without another word, his major trailing closely behind.

  Beyond the entrance, a vast hall stretched before them. A red carpet led up a great staircase, where the King’s audience chamber lay. At the far end of the room, seated upon his gilded throne, was King Edmund III. He was flanked by a handful of advisors and royal guards, his attention focused on a group of petitioning peasants before him.

  For a long moment, he seemed completely unaware of the General’s approach…Until Kaelstrife got close enough, and his royal guards reacted.

  The royal guards stiffened. They looked confused – but still, they saluted.

  Kaelstrife didn’t slow. His voice cut through the chamber like a war horn.

  “Edmund, clear the hall. Now!”

  The room fell into stunned silence.

  Every noble, guard, and commoner alike froze in place, eyes darting between the King and the legendary general.

  The proper response to such insolence should have been Kaelstrife’s immediate arrest, but the man’s status likely gave him privileges beyond anything anyone could’ve ever imagined.

  The King sat stiffly in his throne, hands gripping the armrests. When he spoke, his voice was quieter than expected.

  “Leave us.” He ordered, waving his hand. “All but Arcadius.”

  The head royal advisor – a man adorned in the most elegant robes from the bunch – remained by the King’s side.

  The King’s gaze flickered toward Kaelstrife’s Major. “You as well. Leave.”

  The Major began to step away, but Kaelstrife growled. “He stays.”

  A tense silence followed. The King and General locked eyes. For a moment – neither yielded.

  Then finally, the King sighed. “Very well.”

  Once the chamber doors shut, sealing them in, the King’s demeanor shifted. His expression hardened.

  “I assume you’re here to explain yourself.” The King said, his voice now measured. “Perhaps to justify why our northern campaigns have come to an abrupt halt? Or why you withdrew from the front without approval? Or why you saw fit to bring hundreds of soldiers back to my capital without my command? Are you planning to usurp me, Karl? Is that it?”

  His words rang with authority, but it wasn’t hard to notice the unease that still lingered.

  Kaelstrife’s jaw tightened. His answer came without hesitation. “You don’t deserve an explanation.”

  Arcadius let out a sharp breath. “Such arrogance. To speak so before your King. You must truly have lost your senses in the north, General.”

  Kaelstrife’s gaze snapped to him. And the advisor recoiled under its weight. The fire in the General’s eyes burned too intensely - it was a look of pure, seething hatred.

  “If there were justice in this world,” Kaelstrife said coldly, “I would crush the life from your throat for what you have done.”

  Arcadius paled and the King jumped to his defense. “General, mind your tongue. I know you well enough to know your loyalty to the crown is unquestionable, but others may see such words as treason.”

  Kaelstrife took a step forward, unshaken.

  “Treason?” he repeated, his voice lower now. “You dare speak of treason after what you did to your most loyal knight?”

  The King exhaled slowly, as if composing himself.

  “So this is about Gaelith Alloraine.” He sighed in relief, then turned serious. “He was plotting against me, Karl. I did what I had to do.”

  Kaelstrife expression twisted in disgust.

  “I asked you personally to keep an eye on him!” Kaelstrife snapped. “Promised you his loyalty was beyond question! And you did this?

  “Gaelith Alloraine was the most honorable man I have ever known. Far more than you. Far more than your snake of a cousin.” His voice rose with rage. “And you executed him! And by poison of all things? You sicken me, Edmund.”

  For the first time, the King’s face darkened. “Karl Kaelstrife, you are one of Tepan’s greatest warriors. That alone is the reason I have let you speak so freely.” He paused. “But continue this insolence, and you will find yourself in chains before the sun sets.”

  Kaelstrife’s eyes narrowed. Then he took another step forward. His voice lowered further, but each word felt as sharp as a knife.

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  “You think you can threaten me, Edmund?”

  The King stilled.

  “How well do you know your army? Do you truly believe that after so many battles, so many victories, so many years being forgotten in the north, the soldiers of Tepan still see you as their ruler? Do you think, if push came to shove, they would follow you?”

  The King remained silent, as Kaelstrife continued with fervor.

  “The rumors you heard about the King in the North are true. They follow me. And if you ever dared to imprison me, they would burn this palace to the ground to release me.”

  The King’s hands tightened on his throne, his discomfort visible. “So, you are trying to usurp me!” He snapped at the General.

  Kaelstrife exhaled sharply, then released a soft chuckle.

  “Relax, my King.” He said, his tone mocking. “I didn’t come here to take your crown. That won’t bring him back…” His gaze turned furious. “I came to ask you one thing – where is my brother’s body?”

  The King seemed to visibly calm down. “Is that truly all you wish to know?” He paused. “Will this bring peace to your restless mind? Will it put an end to this irrational display?”

  Kaelstrife’s stance remained rigid. His tone remained sharp. “Answer the question.”

  The King exhaled slowly, then turned his gaze toward his advisor.

  “Arcadius,” he called, his voice firm. “You handled the arrangements. Where was his body sent?”

  Kaelstrife stiffened. His breath hitched. “You sent it away?”

  “Yes.” The King nodded, his expression measured. “Your so-called honorable brother cursed me – cursed our entire kingdom. I had to act swiftly to ensure the corruption of his words would not come to life.” He paused. “He was to be interred in a tomb.”

  “A tomb?” Kaelstrife asked, sounding confused. “Where? Which one?”

  “The one in Moonvale.” Arcadius answered swiftly, smirking.

  “Moonvale…” Kaelstrife muttered as if trying to recall the name, until he did, and his eyes widened in horror. “You did what?!”

  The King’s brows furrowed. “What is the issue? You still fear the Axul?” he asked, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. “They’re gone, Karl. Moonvale has been abandoned for the past two years.”

  Kaelstrife dragged his hands over his face, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

  “How long has it been since you sent him there?”

  The King’s gaze flickered to Arcadius. “Well?”

  “One day.”

  Kaelstrife didn’t wait a second longer. He turned sharply on his heel and strode toward the exit, his Major following behind.

  “General!” The King’s voice rang out, attempting to reassert his authority. “I am still your King!”

  But Kaelstrife didn’t stop. Didn’t acknowledge him.

  The King’s face twisted with anger as he called for the guards. “Guards!”

  The chamber doors burst open and four armored guards rushed forward, their hands gripping their swords. They moved to block Kaelstrife’s path.

  “Detain the General and his major!” The King called out.

  The guards, still in a state of confusion, lunged forward, but they never reached the General.

  Major Nilson moved first, his sword already drawn before the first guard had fully advanced. With precise footwork, and incredible sword fighting skills, he disarmed all of the guards, dropping them on their rears. It was over in seconds.

  Kaelstrife continued his stride, the Major resuming his behind him.

  “Major Nilson here is just one of the hundreds soldiers I personally trained and mentored over the years.” Kaelstrife said, his voice ringing out loudly, finishing with a threat. “There will be hell to pay, Edmund. But not today.”

  Then, the memory remained, but the setting shifted.

  It was the brink of night. A temporary war encampment stretched across the land, its tents illuminated by torchlights.

  Entering the largest tent was Major Nilson, saluting as he greeted the General.

  “General, Gaelith Alloraine was a legend we all admired.” Major Nilson said, his voice measured. “We will follow you to the end of the earth, but I believe some words of explanation to the men as to why we are here exactly would improve the morale.”

  Kaelstrife nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. “I was already planning to address them.” Then, his tone hardened to a command. “Assemble the men within half an hour.”

  The Major saluted sharply. “At once, General.”

  Then, without further delay, he exited the tent.

  Major Nilson moved throughout the encampment, his presence known by every soldier he passed. He stopped at mess tents, barracks, and watchposts, his message the same wherever he went: “The General calls for an assembly. In the War Muster. Half an hour.”

  By the time the appointed moment arrived, nearly two hundred warriors had gathered in the War Muster, an open clearing at the heart of the encampment.

  As Kaelstrife stepped forward, their eyes locked onto him.

  Without hesitation, the entire assembly saluted in unison. Not a word was spoken. Only silent respect – and the undeniable presence of their loyalty.

  Kaelstrife surveyed them, his eyes moving from one soldier to the next, ensuring each of them felt seen, felt acknowledged. Only then did he speak.

  “Men,” the General began, his voice calm. “My personal elite force.” His eyes narrowed slightly, and then, with a flicker of amusement he asked. “How did the northern savages nicknamed you?”

  “The Silverfangs!” They called out almost in unison, voiced booming through the night air.

  Kaelstrife nodded, a small smile spreading across his face as he raised his glaive. “That’s right.” He said. “The Mad General, Silverfang – his glaive, and the fearsome warriors who follow him with blood in their eyes.”

  The Silverfangs grinned, their pride palpable.

  The General continued, his tone growing solemn. “I know some of you were left with questions when I withdrew us from the northern front and returned back to the capital.” He paused briefly, scanning their faces. “Some of you had already started families there. Others had moved their loved ones to those lands, believing the conquests would not end in your lifetime as the crown continued spitting on us all the way from the capital.”

  His gaze swept over them once more. “And I have no doubt your questions only grew when I brought you here – to this Creator-forsaken land.”

  A veteran soldier stepped forward, his voice strong. “None here dares question your orders, General!”

  Murmurs of agreement rippled through the assembled warriors.

  “I hold your trust and loyalty above all else, Silverfangs.” Kaelstrife smiled proudly. He let the words settle as his gaze hardened. “But I will not lie to you. This time, I have led you here for a personal matter – one that I hope you will stand with me on.”

  The men did not waver. Curiosity flickered in their eyes, but they remained silent, awaiting his next words.

  Kaelstrife took a deep breath before he spoke. “Many of you have already heard the whispers that the legendary knight – my dear brother – Gaelith Alloraine was falsely - and history will prove it to be right - accused of treason. He was branded a traitor by the King himself. Two days ago, he was executed – not by the sword, but by poison.”

  A wave of disgusted murmurs spread through the ranks. Some grimaced, others clenched fists, their anger visibly mounting.

  Kaelstrife pressed on. “Not only that – he was denied the honor of proper burial. He was not laid to rest among the honored dead of knighthood, nor was he granted a place in the capital’s cemetery. It would have been one thing to deny his burial at the Crown’s Knights section, but they did not even allow him the dignity of burial at all.”

  The murmurs turned to outright outrage. The very idea of it was unthinkable to the soldiers.

  “Instead,” Kaelstrife’s voice rose, his fury accompanying it, “they sent him here – cast his body into the depths of the Axul tomb as if he was filth just like them!” He gestured behind them toward the distant silhouette of a structure – the Axul temple. “A warrior of his status, a man of his honor, discarded like a wretch among the damned.”

  The mere sound of the word Axul was enough to ignite even more anger among the ranks. Some spat on the ground, others cursed. The hatred was visibly deeply ingrained.

  Kaelstrife’s expression twisted with rage. “I would not wish such a fate upon my worst enemies. And yet, they sentenced my own brother to it!” Kaelstrife shook his head aggressively. “We will retrieve the body of Gaelith Alloraine and ensure he is buried with all the rights that befit a man of his stature!”

  The soldiers cheered on, agreeing that justice needed to be conducted.

  Kaelstrife let the noise settle before speaking again, his voice growing colder. “Now, I know some of you may wonder why I have brought the full might of the Silverfangs to recover one body from an abandoned tomb.” He let the question hang in the air before answering. “I did so because I have every reason to believe the Axul are not as dead as the crown would have us think.”

  Silence fell across the ranks once more.

  “They are here, hiding in that tomb.” Kaelstrife continued, his voice grim. “How can I know for sure? Your fellow scouts already confirmed to me that the tomb was sealed from within!”

  The soldiers’ eyes widened with shock, but not a single one doubted his words. It was clear that if General Kaelstrife believed in it, then it was the truth.

  “If my brother's body ended in there, it was because those cultist scums wished for it to happen!” Kaelstrife exhaled sharply. “Dark Axul magic. Forbidden rituals. The kind of foul sorcery that should have died with them two years ago.”

  He straightened, shoulders squared. “I won’t deceive you. I do not know what awaits us within this tomb. We might have a deadly battle upon us.” He surveyed them, his gaze hard. “If any man does not wish to follow me into that tomb, speak now. You may return north with my blessing, no shame upon you.”

  Silence.

  One breath.

  Two.

  Then, the first soldier stepped forward. Then another. And another.

  Soon, the entire force moved in unison, fists thumping against their chests as their voices rose in a thunderous chant:

  “Through ice and fire, through blood and sand,

  We'll follow General Kaelstrife, our blades in hand!

  General Kaelstrife, The King in the North!”

  Kaelstrife stood before them, nodding once, his expression hard.

  “Then we make for the tomb in two hours.”

  P.S.