It happened at dawn.
Cedric's forces were marching through a narrow valley when the first arrows rained down.
Men screamed. Horses reared.
Aldric and his fighters charged from the cliffs, swords flashing.
Chaos.
Valerian split a man in two with a single swing.
Elya moved like a shadow, her daggers finding weak points in enemy armor.
Aldric fought his way toward the center, searching for Cedric.
But Cedric wasn't there.
A trap.
The horns blew, and suddenly the valley wasn't theirs anymore.
From the ridges above, Cedric's men emerged. Arrows flew down at them. Soldiers closed in from both sides.
Aldric cursed.
They had walked right into it.
"Fall back!" he shouted.
But there was nowhere to go.
The Duel
Then, amidst the chaos—
Cedric himself rode forward.
He was clad in black armor, his sword gleaming in the early light. His eyes locked onto Aldric, and he smirked.
"I should've killed you when I had the chance," Cedric said.
Aldric tightened his grip on his sword.
