The Devil's Warrior Queen
Chapter 380: Sacrifice And Escape

Chapter 380: Sacrifice And Escape

It was all too easy, Zoya almost felt doubt growing in her heart at how easy it had been to steal the flaming crystal and how even more easy it was to leave the Dragonspire with the flaming crystal without being caught.

After the long day, they spent the day together in a small inn, eating to garner their strength before proceeding for their escape at nightfall.

After taking a rest, the night came and darkness enveloped the land. They swiftly left the inn and proceeded toward the barrier.

Again, it was easier than she thought as they crossed the barrier and proceeded into the forest. Fortunately for her, her horse was still where she had left it. She scurried to her horse and gave it a pat while it welcomed her heartily.

"Here." Aldric nudged at her as he gave her the bag where the flaming crystal was.

She darted her eyes from the bag to his face as her brows creased in confusion.

"You should hold it, you’re the one who needs it anyway, in case things go south.." He remarked with a soft chuckle.

"Nothing will happen, let’s go." She said firmly as she refused to take it while moving towards her horse, but he forcefully pushed the bag into her hands.

She was about to argue when the sounds of footsteps alerted them. From the darkness, a horde of the skilled warriors emerged from within, making their presence visible to them.

Aldric and Zoya suddenly stood back to back, their weapons drawn and their hearts pounding with adrenaline-fueled determination. Around them, the clash of steel on steel echoed through the air as a horde of skilled warriors closed in, their eyes burning with the thirst for blood.

"Traitor!" One of the warriors spat out as he stepped forward, their faces masked with disgust.

"You have betrayed your kingdom and desecrated your status for a mere witch, you’re the defacement of our brotherhood..." As the warrior continued to speak, Aldric interrupted him in between his statement.

"Are you here to talk or fight?" Aldric hissed, his eyes burning with vigor.

At his statement, they growled repulsively as they unsheathed their weapons, ready to pour their wrath on the traitor and the white witch.

Aldric, with muscles honed through years of training, wielded his gleaming sword imbued with ancient magic. As he faced down his foes, his movements were fluid and precise, each strike delivered with the deadly accuracy of a seasoned combatant.

Beside him stood Zoya, as she wielded powers beyond comprehension. Her hands crackled with arcane energy as she weaves spells of protection and destruction, her voice rising above the din of battle as she chanted incantations that send her enemies reeling.

Together, Aldric and Zoya made a formidable pair, their skills complementing each other perfectly as they fought side by side against the relentless onslaught of their foes. With Aldric’s strength and Zoya’s magic, they carved a path through the enemy ranks, leaving a trail of fallen warriors in their wake.

But the horde was relentless, and for every enemy they cut down, two more took their place. As the battle raged on, Aldric and Zoya found themselves surrounded on all sides, their backs pressed against each other’s.

With a defiant roar, Aldric charged into the fray, his sword flashing in the dim moonlight as he cut through his enemies with ruthless efficiency. But even as he fought, he could feel the weight of exhaustion settling upon him, his muscles burning with the strain of constant combat.

Beside him, Zoya channeled her magic with unbridled fury, unleashing torrents of flame and lightning upon their enemies with a flick of her wrist. But even her powers were not enough to stem the tide of the horde, and as the battle wore on, she could feel her strength waning. After all, there was only an extent a witch could use her powers before it burned her out.

With a desperate cry, Aldric reached out to her, his hand clasping hers in a silent gesture of solidarity. Together, they stood against the onslaught, their love for each other fueling their determination to survive against all odds.

The air crackled with tension as Aldric and Zoya stood shoulder to shoulder, their weapons drawn and their eyes locked in a silent exchange of understanding. Before them, more hordes of skilled warriors advanced with grim determination, their swords glinting in the pale light of the moon.

As the first wave of attackers surged forward, Aldric and Zoya moved as one, their movements fluid and coordinated as they fought back against the relentless onslaught. With each swing of his sword and each blast of her magic, they cut through their enemies with ruthless efficiency, leaving a trail of fallen warriors in their wake.

With each passing moment, the horde seemed to grow larger, their numbers overwhelming even his formidable skills.

Sensing the danger closing in around them, Aldric turned to Zoya, his voice urgent as he shouted over the din of battle. "Zoya, you must flee! Go now, while you still have the chance!"

But Zoya shook her head, her eyes filled with determination as she stood her ground beside him. "I will not leave you, Aldric," she replied, her voice unwavering despite the chaos that surrounded them. "We fight together, or not at all."

Aldric’s heart swelled with love and admiration for the woman at his side, her bravery shining like a beacon in the darkness. But he knew that the odds were stacked against them, and that if they were to have any hope of survival, she would need to escape while she still had the chance.

With a heavy heart, Aldric reached out to Zoya, his hand clasping hers in a silent gesture of solidarity. "Please, Zoya," he pleaded, his voice soft but firm. "You must go. Find safety, and gather your strength. I will hold them off for as long as I can."

For a moment, Zoya hesitated, her gaze locked with Aldric’s as if searching for some sign of reassurance. But then, with a nod of understanding, she released his hand and turned to flee into the night, her white robes billowing behind her like a ghost in the moonlight.

As Zoya disappeared into the darkness, Aldric turned his attention back to the horde of soldiers, his blue eyes gleaming with determination to not let a single life from them escape and pursue her, he would sacrifice every ounce of his blood to ensure she lived.

As Zoya climbed on her horse, tears stung her eyes bitterly. She didn’t want to leave him behind, but she had to if she wanted to survive. She wouldn’t have been any use to him dead and she still needed to deliver the flaming crystal to Rama, she had a duty to carry out back in Voltaire Empire.

She wanted nothing more than to be by his side, their forbidden love was unplanned for, but if it hadn’t happened, then she wouldn’t be alive. He was the only reason she was alive and she planned to keep it that way for him.

The air was thick with the acrid scent of blood and smoke as Zoya urged her horse forward, its hooves pounding against the hard-packed earth as it galloped through the chaos of battle. Behind her, the sounds of clashing steel and anguished cries echoed through the night, a grim reminder of the danger that lurked at her heels.

But even as she rode with all the speed she could muster, Zoya couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that gnawed at her heart like a ravenous beast. Somewhere amidst the carnage and chaos, her beloved Aldric was fighting for his life, his strength and courage pitted against the relentless onslaught of their enemies.

With each passing moment, the weight of guilt and sorrow grew heavier upon Zoya’s shoulders, threatening to crush her beneath its unbearable weight. After all, she was the who had led Aldric into danger.

And now, as she fled for her life while he remained behind to face their enemies alone, she couldn’t help but feel a heavy pang of guilt and despair grip her heart like a vice.

Tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked as she urged her horse onwards, her mind consumed with thoughts of the man she loved and the fate that awaited him. Presumably dead, or perhaps if a miracle of some sort occurred, then he might be alive.

She wasn’t religious neither did she believe in a higher power, but at that moment, she prayed inwardly to whatever and whoever that her beloved Aldric might survive.

As she rode, Zoya stole one last glance over her shoulder, her heart clenching in her chest at the sight that greeted her. Through the haze of smoke and dust, she could see Aldric fighting valiantly amidst a sea of foes, his sword flashing in the moonlight as he cut down his enemies with deadly precision.

But even as she watched, horror gripped her heart like a vice as she saw Aldric falter, his movements growing sluggish and uncertain as fatigue began to take its toll. With each passing moment, the horde closed in around him, their swords flashing in the moonlight as they struck out with deadly intent.

And then, in an instant that seemed to stretch into eternity, Zoya’s worst fears were realized as she saw Aldric fall to his knees, his sword slipping from his grasp as blood poured from a grievous wound upon his chest.

With a cry of anguish that echoed through the night, she watched helplessly as he collapsed to the ground, his lifeblood staining the earth beneath him as his enemies closed in for the final blow, proceeding for his head.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still as Zoya sat frozen in her saddle, her heart breaking into a million pieces as she watched her beloved fall before her eyes. In that moment, all she could feel was a deep and overwhelming sense of despair, a crushing weight that threatened to consume her whole.

But then, with a surge of strength born from desperation, Zoya spurred her horse forward, her mind consumed with a single, burning desire, to escape this nightmare and find safety before it was too late. With each passing moment, she rode faster and faster, the wind whipping through her hair as she fled into the darkness, leaving behind the man she loved and the life they had once shared.

As she rode, Zoya could feel the weight of guilt and sorrow pressing down upon her like a leaden weight, threatening to drag her down into the depths of despair.

But even as tears streamed down her cheeks and her heart ached with the pain of loss, she knew that she had no choice but to keep moving forward, to survive at any cost, if only to honor the memory of the man who had sacrificed everything to save her.

But still, she couldn’t believe her eyes even as she witnessed his death. She couldn’t believe that Aldric was dead.