As Ubel descended from the mountain, the ranks of his soldiers parted to allow him passage. His countenance was twisted in a sneer, his visage splattered with the blood of his vanquished foes. In his right hand, he wielded his sword with deadly intent. The four men faced him with a mixture of fear and anger, while Ubel regarded them with a cold, impassive gaze.

  With a visage of frozen malice, Ubel proclaimed, "Our affairs are settled."

  King Basil erupted in indignant anger, "What have you perpetrated upon us?" He gesticulated wildly." Behold the ruination you have inflicted! What are the limits of your malevolence? When will you be sated? When will you desist in these fiendish deeds?"

  An awkward silence descended upon the scene, the only sound the melodic pitter-patter of raindrops upon the ears of those present. Then, Ubel spoke again.

  "As I previously avowed, I am finished now," he intoned with a voice like ice.

  With a flourish, Ubel levelled his sword at the four men and declared, "Each and every one of you would have acted in the same manner had you found yourselves in my position. If I had granted you the opportunity, you would have stormed into Vok and slaughtered us all. As it was, Astrid began a plot against me and received what was due to her. She was a serpent, a snake! And now, she is gone."

  King Ulf glared at Ubel, but did not dare to speak. King Basil then said, "What was the purpose of massacring all of our troops? Do you even comprehend the magnitude of what you have done? This is the greatest slaughter in human history! Even the gods condemn your actions.

  Ubel smirked slightly and replied, "As for the extermination of your remaining troops, consider it a cautionary tale to not entertain thoughts of rebellion against me again. Never underestimate me, Basil. As I warned you before, some mistakes cannot be forgiven. However, fear not, for I am a man of my word. I will spare you all, on the condition that you aid me in ruling our united kingdom. We can discuss the details of this arrangement later, once tempers have cooled. For now, our focus should be on making for England."

  Ulf was taken aback by Ubel's declaration. He exclaimed, "England? You wish to go to England? With what forces? You have murdered every single one of our men!"

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  Ubel replied, "Do not be naive, Ulf. We both know that our kingdom still has warriors capable of battle. As a gesture of goodwill, I will dispatch three hundred soldiers with each of you back to your respective kingdoms to help with reconstruction and preparations for the voyage to England."

  Jeffrey's voice quivered with emotion as he asked, "What of Osna?"

  Ubel's response was devoid of feeling as he stated, "You shall travel there and impart the news of their serpent's demise. You will assume the mantle of ruler, with Hamza as your assistant."

  Jeffery nodded in acceptance, though the group was overwhelmed with grief and despair. Under what circumstances had they consented to these terms? None of them had the fortitude to laugh or even smile. They all dispersed to their kingdoms, hearts heavy and broken, yet somehow convinced that their own actions had brought about this tragic outcome.

  They berated themselves for underestimating Ubel and for conspiring against Vok. The pain of their losses and the weight of their guilt was palpable as they trudged forward, trying to find a glimmer of hope in Ubel's words and a reason to dream of a better future.

  As the others departed from the battlefield, Hamza, Trevor, and Hilda approached Ubel, who stood stoically amidst the chaotic scene, gazing upon the numerous lives he had taken with no hint of emotion on his face. Upon noticing their presence, Ubel strode towards Hamza and placed his right hand upon the younger man's shoulder, as if he were proud of him.

  "Hamza," Ubel began, his voice deep and commanding. "I want you to accompany Jeffery to Osna. We will take control of their kingdom, and I need you to assist him in maintaining order in the city. Do not engage in unnecessary conflict, but do not hesitate to defend yourself if necessary."

  "Hamza regarded Ubel with a contemplative gaze, offering a subtle nod of understanding as the older man spoke. ’Trevor,' Ubel began, his voice laced with authority, 'you will accompany King Basil and bring Freya and her children back to Vok. I will march there now.'

  Trevor furrowed his brow in confusion. 'When do you plan on travelling to England?'

  Ubel sighed, his eyes drifting skyward. 'We must wait for the grief to dissipate before we can make any preparations. It is a trying time, but we must be patient.'

  Trevor nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. 'I suggest, then, that I remain with King Basil and the army to keep a close watch on his majesty.'

  Ubel considered this for a moment before giving a decisive nod. He then turned to Hilda, a look of determination in his eyes. 'You will come with me to Vok,' he declared.

  Hilda shook her head, her voice laced with pleading. 'I don't want to go anywhere without you. I am yours.'

  Ubel's face softened at her words, a faint smile playing at his lips.

  And so, with Hilda by his side, Ubel marched off the battlefield, leaving behind a grisly scene of death and destruction. The ground was soaked with the blood of the fallen, a feast for the ravens that circled overhead. Ubel lifted Hilda onto his horse and together, they rode back to Vok, their army following close behind."

  King Ulf was the only one who was sent with Ubel's army, unguarded and unaccompanied, a fact that only Ulf and Ubel could comprehend. Despite his fear of what he had witnessed, Ulf did not dare to deceive Ubel again, as he too desired to be a part of the expedition to England. Ulf had sons whom he had not brought to the battle, always confident that nothing untoward would befall them. However, this was a veiled threat from Ubel to Ulf - if he were to consider double-crossing Ubel again, his sons would pay the price.