Kilamin’s POV 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Hearing the knock, I rushed to the door and opened it. It was Arhuias, my second in command.

"General Kilamin we are under attack by Schlangtos. They are resurfacing from several places in our realm." Horror was strewn on his face.

Schlangtos were intelligent creatures that dwelled underground in the Dark Realm. They preferred cold and dark and only surfaced looking for their prey. And they devoured everything they could find. Their hundreds of legs and hideous teeth gave them a menacing look.

The barrier that used to surround Dark Realm was not only above the surface it traveled below the rocky underground. This was done to restrict the monsters that dwelled underground from passing into our realm.

Now that the barrier was gone, they were free to roam. I was expecting such an attack and the devastation it could bring, so I had Archer Regiment on standby.

"Beware of its claws and it has a weak spot on the neck. Target that. Also, the one we saw in Dark Realm a few months ago could fly as well. It had wings, so evolution has hit them and they have morphed into new creatures." I heard Serene call out behind me making me turn. She had learned about Schlangtos, and having wings was new information.

"I will debrief the regiment, thank you, Serene. Take care of yourself and don’t even think about leaving the room." I told her in a serious tone, making sure she understood.

"I won’t," she replied as a shrill sound rang from just outside the castle. We peered through Serene’s window in the direction from where the sound came.

A 25-meter Schlangto could be seen emerging just outside the Castle as it collided with our barrier and shrieked. Guards flew in the air trying to tackle it and it flicked its tail bringing one of them down and tearing him apart with its hideous teeth. Serene gasped seeing the scene unfold in front of us.

"Let’s go," I yelled at Arhuias, who shuffled and ran ahead of me. As we stepped outside the castle, I flicked open my wings and flew towards it. It was still busy devouring the guard it had brought down earlier while other guards tried to attack its thick shell, unable to pierce through.

No one had fought these creatures for 500 years so they only existed in books and not everyone remembered their weaknesses. People didn’t believe that the barrier could be broken.

"Hit it right below the neck," I shouted at them from the distance as I flew straight at it, conjuring spears as I went by. I sent them flying but it sensed them and moved instantly trying to get back inside the ground. I conjured my chains and bound its abdomen, then I whistled and guards flew toward me, getting hold of the chains and pulling it back.

Arhuias targeted its eyes with his white fire, it burnt 10 times hotter than normal fire. He made fireballs and hurled them toward its face as we pulled it back, blinding it. It struggled against the chains and writhed in pain from being blinded. Its shrieks of pain echoed far and wide. Luckily, this one didn’t have wings.

I flew near and conjured a sharp blue spear, piercing its neck with it, hitting the soft spot right in the middle. The blood gurgled out from its neck, choking it as it tried to bellow but no sound escaped it. Its body thrashed as the last of the life force left it, making it slump on the ground in a heap.

"Dispose it of and target their necks it’s their fatal spot, avoid their claws and some of them have wings too, so be careful," I shouted at my regiment and guards. They nodded in unison. "Remain sharp we are going to experience similar attacks. Arhuias let’s move out, I want to access how many more are there." He nodded as we flew toward the Dark Realm. Spotting several Schlangtos on our way. I shouted at my men, telling them the correct way to kill these creatures.

No way we could let them reach the Fae settlement. The strategic position of Dark Realm gave us an advantage. The boundary of the Dark Realm touched an extended forest which lay and spread on all sides and beyond the forest in the north lay the castle and in the west lay the Fae Settlement where common people lived.

The distance between Dark Realm and Settlement stretched for miles and a Rocky Mountain terrain lay in between as well. So our settlement was as safe as it could get.

Schlangtos traveled underground and they preferred soft ground to travel, they avoided mountainous terrain. But, Serene said they could fly as well, that would be challenging for us. There were several other flying creatures that belonged to Dark Realm, and they were my main concern.

I had posted several regiments near the settlements in case we had an aerial attack.

As we neared the Dark Realm I saw a gigantic one flying out of it and shrieking at the Regiment posted there. Several Nature Fae’s attacked it with their vines, thorns and wood attacks. I saw Zian was one of them. He was trying to constrain it by wrapping a thorny vine around its neck. At least someone who remembered what had been taught to them.

"Attack the spot under its neck," I shouted at them. The Schlangto jerked its head and sent Zian flying who let go of his vines and steadied himself before crashing onto the ground. Arhuias hurled his fireballs at it, so Zian could escape. It worked as the fireballs hit its wing, setting it on fire it flew backward and squirmed with agony.

Several vines covered its other wing and my men pulled tearing its other wing, making it go berserk as it fell on the ground with a thud, shaking it. It used its sharp claws to attack Fae Soldiers, one of them got cut on his face and cried out in pain as his face split open and he plummeted to the ground.

Zian caught him and flew to the side with him. I had seen enough. Conjuring a golden spear about 5 meters in length, I aimed and hurled it toward its neck. Impaling it instantly, as its eyes popped and became lifeless, its blood sputtered out like spray from fountains and covered everything around it.

"Tend to the wounded," I shouted "And remain on guard, beware of their claws." They nodded and began to clean up the mess. I headed for Zian.

"He will need antitoxins, you know how to make specific ones involving Schlangtos?" I told him as he tended to the wounded soldier. I had already ordered Ayara to make antitoxins for all creatures we were familiar with.

"I do and I already have one for Schlangto. Serene taught me the last time she came home, I was mesmerized when she told me she had fought one and had learned how to make an antitoxin for their venom." He spoke grimly, his ever-smiling face held no joy today as he took out a vial from his medical box and emptied its contents into the mouth of the wounded soldier, who had almost fainted. He then began to heal his face which had a deep cut running from his ear to his lips.

"Good, how much stock do you have? Because we don’t know how many more we are going to experience." I inquired looking closely at the green energy which emanated from his hands as it healed the gash.

"My stock is depleting fast, I would need refills soon." He finally glanced in my direction, the tension evident on his face.

"I will look to it that you get it soon," I replied calmly.

"How is Serene?" He asked, his eyes quivering with emotions as his lips trembled.

"She is hanging in there, she is stubborn so she will be alright, dont worry." He nodded at me with a stern expression and focused on his healing.

"I wish I could go see her but I can’t abandon my duties here." He spoke with determination, the cut had almost healed so he laid the injured Fae down.

"You can take a break tomorrow and go see her for a while. She needs you right now. Just wait till your replacement gets here." My words made him look back at me and there was gratitude in his eyes as if saying thank you.

"I will be grateful," he whispered and I nodded at him before turning around and walking toward the center of the clearing we were using as our base.

The influx of monsters had stopped and the wounded were being tended to. Those in critical condition were being flown to the Royal Infirmary while those with lesser injuries were being treated on the spot so they could continue fighting.

"Gather up everyone, I have some announcements to make," I shouted as all of them began to herd together. It was time to brief them about a few famous creatures, and also explain the point that no creature should reach Fae Settlement.