Smoke filled their noses and ash fell on their heads. They enter through the shattered gate of Perion City, bashed and torn as if it was just a door. The flags of Perion half burned, half torn and stained with blood. The streets are littered with bodies both soldier and civilian alike, burned and slashed like the flags. The houses destroyed and the great market is nothing but a pile of debris. Blackened arrows covered most of the city, it seems the walls were overrun. Buildings were either burned or burning, nothing was spared. They pass the great market and see a handful of souls scavenging scatter, fearing that they were demons. 

Just before they enter the second wall of the city, not as grand as the first wall. They are greeted by Captain Gildas, his armor stained and his sword as well. He greets them with a smile but a heavy smile. 

"Glad that you have returned" He says and grabs the reins of Owen's horse. "We have a lot to discuss"

Captain Gildas escorted them to the inner city, where the higher class of the city lived and even here the houses were burned and broken. Along the way they saw the surviving soldiers who either stare at the ground or staring at themselves through the reflection of their swords. Just like Captain Gildas, their armor is stained and even broken for some. They see this soldier trying to clean his broken sword but the frustration is clearly seen on his face and one other soldier holding a pole with a torn flag. 

"How did you survive?" Owen asks, he did not need to ask the obvious questions like were you attacked? It would be an insult to both the living and the dead.

"I said we have a lot to discuss but not now" Captain Gildas said seriously.

The smell of smoke and ash slowly vanishes as they enter the military district where the IronGuard hall is. There they see tables outside and they notice some memorable faces like Perion's Generals and the IronGuard council but only three of the council is present. They see lady Therese standing near the tent of the wounded, she's not wearing her armor but instead a healer's clothes, supposed to be a clean white robe but now all stained with blood and dirt. She notices them and approaches. 

"Welcome back young ones" She greets happily but her smile is also heavy and the horrible events still show on her face. "Gildas, send them to the hall. I'll just clean up" She notices Thren whose pale and weak and takes a look at his hand all covered in bandages. "Leave this boy here, we must take a look at his hand" The soldiers assisting the healers slowly pull Thren off his horse and carries him to the tent. He drops the sword and ring given to him by the old man but Finn picks them up. Thren looks back painfully.

"Don't worry Thren, we'll keep these safe" Finn says and Thren nods at him.

Owen, Elos and Annalyn went to a different chamber while Gildas brings them to the Talon's Hall where they are given food and a time to clean themselves up. When they took their armor off their bodies are all bruised and sore from the hard quest they went to but as they each looked out the windows, seeing the once beautiful city burned and nearly destroyed. Takes all their pain away and makes them eager to know what happened. The IronGuard council, captain Gildas and Lady Therese comes and gathers them into the meeting room. Owen, Elos and Annalyn came with them as well

Lord Harold is the first to speak once they were all seated. "There is much to discuss today but firstly I would like to express our thanks to you, the students of Gildas for fulfilling your task up north"

All of them wonder if they really did succeeded in their quest because all they did is survive a slaughter, nothing more. Lord Harold continues. 

"Many things have happened while you were gone, as saw when you entered the city" Lord Harold stands up and looks out the window with grief. "All this is because of a mistake done by me" 

Marcus looks at Lord Harold confusingly wondering how could the Master of the IronGuard in Perion be at fault for the near destruction  of the city. Lord Harold turns to them and says. "We were fighting ourselves and I failed to see it in time"

*Before they left for their quest*

Her hand slammed the table like hammer and her eyes filled with anger. "Why would I! the only noble blood be left behind for a quest!" Liana exclaims.

"The very reason you hit that table" Lady Therese looks at Liana dead in the eye. "You are quick to anger and you can't accept orders well"

"This is unfair! I am noble! I shouldn't take orders from peasants!" She shouted even louder. "And you let that Marcus be the leader of the company!?" 

"Knight Owen will lead while Marcus is just his captain" Lady Therese picks up her tea and takes a calm sip. "You are ranked captain as a recruit that is why you are staying. You will be assigned to another company without anymore captains"

"Then why not pick Marcus! He is First Talon" Liana stands up and can barely control herself. "I see, Marcus has already influenced you just like the rest!"

"i am very hard to influence my dear. We picked Marcus simply because he is better at leading and fighting" Lady Therese takes another sip but her statement just pushed Liana over the line. 

Liana draws her sword and points it at Lady Therese and says. "Then now I will prove it to you! Draw your sword and I will defeat you! Proving that I am better than anyone here!" She threatens but Lady Therese is unshaken instead she gives Liana this piercing look.

"Touch me with that stupidly maintained sword" Lady Therese puts down the cup and stands up. "Try to strike me. See what happens" Her gaze stuns Liana making her sweat and tremble.

"My family will here of this!" Liana throws her sword in anger and leaves the hall. "Stand up you fools we are leaving!" Liana shouts at the other noble children waiting outside. 

"Why Liana? what happened?" One of them asks. 

"If you think you will be recognized here you are fools. This place is run by idiots and scum! They will never favor us, those with name and power because they are afraid of us and we will go and remind them who truly has the power here in Perion!" Liana walks away with fury and the other recruits follow her.

*back to the present*

"Liana fed lies to the noble families in Perion" Lady Therese sighs. "In anger, they retaliated by leaving the city"

"Along with half of the city's garrison" Captain Gildas says. 

"Half!?" Dello angrily asks. "What madness persuaded those soldiers to go?"

"The madness of need for food and money" Lord Harold replied. "The nobles were the ones funding half the army, feeding them and giving them wages while the other half is funded by the king and by us"

"So they feared they won't be fed and given wages if they didn't follow the nobles" Marcus says and Lord Harold nods to him. "What about Liana?" 

"Liana and the other noble born recruits followed their families" Lady Therese replies. "They marched south and disappeared. We sent scouts but none have returned" 

"Days later the demons attacked the city again" Lord Harold once again turns to the window. "With morale broken as it is, what remained of the forces here in the city were just a piece of paper thrown against a wave" 

"They overrun the walls in mere minutes and after an hour they broke the gates and they flooded the city. Killing everything in their path" Captain Gildas says "What remained of our IronGuard tried to stop them in the great market but there were too many, even the best of us couldn't stop them"

"You're saying this like the city was already lost" Finn asks. 

"It was but before nightfall, four days ago. The walls were at our backs and we were on our last legs and the minions, fanatics and even demons personally surrounded us. The people were already fleeing to the other gates while the remainder of the army protected the king" Lord Harold says, his words are full of sadness and despair but his voice seemed to be getting stronger and eager. "But before they could finish the slaughter something seized their wills and stopped them completely. They all looked towards the north"

Rithia looks at Marcus who thinks about what Lord Harold will say next but Rithia already knows.

"Some demons ordered to carry on with the fight but some refused. Even the minions were lost and confused in the moment. Before we knew it they were fighting each other and they retreated" Lord Harold looks at Marcus. "And that's because of you Marcus, you saved this city"

Everyone in the room looks at Marcus in all sorts of ways. Some were happy and thankful but some were worried and afraid. Rithia reached slowly for Marcus' right glove and removed it. Marcus stares at the symbols on his hand. Lord Harold approaches him and shows him his marks. All of them are the same except for the circle in the center. Marcus has a whole circle while Lord Harold only has half. Lady Therese, Captain Gildas, Owen, Elos and Annalyn also show their marks to Alec and all of them only has half a circle. 

"When do you think we'll get those tattoos?" Finn whispers to Dello but Dello elbows him in the gut. 

"These are not tattoos young Finn" Lady Therese says. "These are the ancient marks of the IronGuard that grants us inhuman capabilities" 

"Like disappearing and reappearing in a different place?" Dello asks and looks at Marcus. Gildas nods at him. 

"But how did Marcus save the city exactly?" Finn asks. 

Lord Harold looks at their eyes seriously, his eyes look deep like into their very souls and says. "The demons feared Marcus' power and they trembled before him, even so far away" 

Finn and the others cheered for Marcus upon hearing Lord Harold's words. Giving them unimaginable joy and relief. 

"Now you must be exhausted, all of you will be given rooms of your own for tonight. Tomorrow we will discuss the other details." Lord Harold claps his hands and they all stood up and left except for the the council, Captain Gildas and Lady Therese. Once the room cleared, Owen was the last to leave but he gives captain Gildas a very serious look as if asking a deadly question but Gildas only stares at him back. The door shuts and the room fall dead silent. 

"Why did you not tell them?" Lady Therese asks, breaking the silence immediately. Lord Harold takes his seat and sighs

"They are not ready to know the truth. I looked into them and they each hate the demons too much. Telling them this would surely destroy their very lives" Lord Harold replies

"But keeping the truth from them would give the same outcome" A council member asks.

"In time they will know, all of Perion will know and Marcus will be the one to tell them and by that time. Either Marcus will be the cause of Perion's change to a great era or the cause of it's total destruction" The third council member asks.

"Do you think the boy knows Gildas?" Lord Harold asks. 

"Marcus is no fool and the others as well. Some of them may even be asking questions in their heads by now"  Gildas replies. "Marcus is a good young man. He won't fail us"

The recruits all went to their promised rooms, bringing with them food and clean clothes. Some fell asleep the moment they reached their beds. Merriell and Finn goes to check on Thren, Dello and Ortos goes to check on the other IronGuard recruits that survived the attack and try to get more information of what happened. 

While Marcus locked his door and stared at the mirror the whole day, not touching his food or even changing his clothes. Night comes and the city is in utter silence. A sudden knock on the door and Marcus comes to his senses again. It is Rithia. 

"We are all having dinner at the main hall. Lady Therese asked me to get you" She says. 

"I'm not hungry, tell the others I'm fine but I truly am not hungry" Marcus says and slowly closes the door but Rithia stops it. 

"I know what you are thinking about right now and just so you know we are all here for you, we are here because of you and whatever burden you are carrying you can share with us..."Rithia let's go and the door slowly closes. "With me" she whispers.

The evening wind blows in from the small balcony of Marcus' room and fills the room with an uncomfortable chill. Marcus goes to close the doors but as he gets closer the cold gets stronger and then suddenly a voice speaks to him and says. 

"Your sister did not tell me you have a lover" The voice says from beside the balcony. 

Marcus remembers that voice, the very same voice of the demon that killed Ginrad. Marcus steps into the balcony and at the side stood him all cloaked in black, hooded with black armor. 

"I bring a message from the high lords of the Demal" The demon says. handing him a rolled note.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right now and you mentioned my sister!?" Marcus says as he closes his fists tight he is willing to fight this demon with his own fists. 

"You kill me and you won't see your sister again" 

HELLO! THANK YOU FOR READING! PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT IF YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER :D

I HOPE YOU FEEL EXCITED TO FIND OUT ABOUT MARCUS' MISSING SISTER SARAH! :D

NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE POSTED SOON! THANK YOU FOR READING AGAIN