Lord of the Rings: Warriors

"The Crusaders..." Rynar gazed at the familiar banner, momentarily stunned.

"Yes, the Crusaders... I can't believe some of them survived!" Caslow said, standing beside Rynar, his voice filled with amazement.

"That is... my people?" Nyx, clutching the staff Rynar had given her, ran forward. As she approached, her eyes fell upon the familiar flag! The purple jasmine banner of the Crusaders was stained with blood!

"Let's go out and greet them," Omsk sighed. With his keen sight, he could easily make out that the Crusader army numbered no more than 500. That meant only about 500 soldiers had survived the entire Crusade.

"Creek!" The large gates, which had been closed, creaked open again. Rynar led the group, shielded by the knights' protection, to meet this long-lost army. The normally composed and dignified Duchess Nyx, however, acted wildly, urging her steed to charge to the front of the group.

...

"My lord, the city gates have been closed! They seem to be on guard against something!" A scout knight reported.

"..." Horlin raised his gaze to the torn banner fluttering in the wind and gave a thin smile. Could it be that the city's defenders were wary of them?

"No matter what, we need to check it out. 

This is the last land of the empire on the continent... without it, we have no home. From what the scouts say, His Excellency the Duke is also here." 

Lavian thought to himself. 

After passing through the Tupet Forest, where Bardel and his group had discovered them, and after recognizing the purple jasmine crest, Bardel had been cautious. 

He confirmed that the banner of the Crusaders matched that of Duke Nyx's, and immediately ordered them to block the Crusader remnants, directing them to River Running City and informing them of the current situation there, where they could find the last sanctuary of the Zaltarion Kingdom.

"A knight is approaching..." Lavian suddenly turned excited, noticing the heavy lances and armor that easily distinguished knights from cavalry. He was certain—these were knights, not ordinary cavalry.

"By the Dragon God! It's the Hundred Knights! The kingdom can still field a hundred knights!" Horlin exclaimed, pointing to the large flag with a thick tassel hanging from it. 

When they had learned that the empire had been reduced to a kingdom with only one city, they were all uneasy. How many soldiers could one city support? 

Not all cities were like Zaltarion City! Even though River Running was once the capital of the northern empire, it had decayed after the turmoil. 

Seeing an organized force of a hundred knights was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise!

"Oh! It's His Excellency!" Lavian quickly recognized the figure charging at the front—Duke Nyx.

...

"My God! Thank heavens! You're still alive..." Duke Nyx gently covered her lips with her hand, tears streaming down her face.

"You've done well, Your Excellency... Thankfully, we can still stand here and see you..." Lavian said with a deep sigh. He couldn't help but feel the weight of what they had survived.

"How did you break through the siege?" Rynar couldn't hold back from asking.

"You are... Your Excellency King Rynar." Lavian froze for a moment, then noticed the golden holy dragon emblem on Rynar's exquisite attire. Realizing who he was, he quickly bowed.

"No need for formalities. Rise, all of you are heroes of the kingdom. Don't mind sharing your story with me?" Rynar was curious about how a fourth-tier knight could lead almost 500 people out of a certain death.

"Actually... It was the injured brothers who bought us time with their lives... We are not heroes... The true heroes stayed on the battlefield..." Lavian's voice trailed off, unable to continue.

"I understand... You are all warriors, and they paid the price," Rynar said, placing a hand on Lavian's shoulder, his voice solemn.

"What are your plans?" Rynar turned to Lavian, the de facto leader of the Crusaders. 

It would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted by the strength of this army—after all, hundreds of soldiers stood before him! 

But Rynar couldn't simply absorb this army from the Duchy, as they were under Duke Nyx's rule. The suzerain country had the right to command them, but could not demand they merge.

"Well..." Lavian hesitated, looking at the lovely Duchess Nyx standing beside Rynar, as if unsure of how to proceed. He wanted to fulfill his mission—restore his country! 

But he knew it was a pipe dream with just their strength. Even if the kingdom helped him restore the Duchy, it would eventually be absorbed into Zaltarion. 

Even if successful, there was no guarantee they could maintain their independence.

"Stay with us, Lavian. The Duchy of Nyx has fallen. Let go of those unrealistic thoughts. Too much blood has been spilled; it's time to stop." 

Duke Nyx sighed deeply, her eyes filled with sorrow and reluctance. Rynar could clearly see the mist of tears in her eyes.

"Your Excellency..." Lavian wanted to argue, but in the face of reality, he found no words to say. Any attempt to speak seemed futile against the overwhelming power difference.

"Join me in battle. Though the Duchy of Nyx has fallen, the Kingdom of Zaltarion still stands tall on the continent. 

The things you fear will not come to pass. I have no intention of absorbing the Duchy of Nyx. In the future, our children—yours and mine—will inherit that land. 

The Duchy of Nyx will rise again! This is my promise to all of you!" Rynar said with a firm voice, and then he took Nyx's hand, pulling her close.

"Your Excellency... This..." Lavian was shocked! Not only did Rynar intend to recruit their army, but he also planned to "steal" their Duke? 

And then have his own children inherit their land? Was the suzerain country really this shameless?

"My lord... This may be our best option," Horlin whispered, noticing the intimate interaction between Rynar and Nyx. It was clear that the two were already close. 

Lavian could see the writing on the wall—their Duke had "defected," so holding out would be meaningless. Was Lavian supposed to become the new Duke? 

A knight devoted to the chivalric code would never commit such an act of defiance.

"As you wish, Your Majesty The entire Crusader army is yours! We will align ourselves!" 

Lavian took a deep breath and turned to face his ragged, yet determined army, giving off a tragic, almost mournful vibe.

"Your Excellency King Rynar! The Crusaders are ready for inspection! Of the 100,000 soldiers expected, only 470 remain. 

There are 20 Crusaders, 30 light cavalry from the Duchy, and 420 ordinary soldiers!" 

Lavian shouted with a heavy heart, each word feeling like it tore at his soul. From the original 100,000 soldiers, only 500 remained... 

After their original Duke's death, Lavian led his army through the wilderness, and as time passed, his own rank grew—from a second-tier knight to a fourth-tier Knight Commander. 

The once-thriving Crusader army had slowly been whittled down: from 100 knights, to 80, to 70... and now only 20 Crusaders were left, with only 30 weary, battered light cavalry remaining. This army had fought for too long.

"Welcome back to the Zaltarion family... the warriors of the Empire!" Rynar too was moved by the sorrow of this army.

.

.

.

Guys, do leave some power stones and reviews.

🤞patreon.com/MythosWriter🤞

If you guys enjoy this story, you can support me on Patreon and get access to Advance Chapters, it really helps me to work on new chapters.