The Books of the Shadows IV - Silver Moon

2

-We have gotta close the portal!!!! 

-My king, they are too strong!! 

-We need to retreat, now, Iris! Sei yelled towards the king.

-Noooo!!! How many more are they???? Iris of Warchild was already enraged. 

-Lord Commander? a soldier ready to sound the retreat was asking Sei for the order. Sei looked around the battlefield, they were outnumbered and they were also stronger than all they have seen so far. There was no solution and there was nothing they could do right now, but live to fight another day. How many more were coming? They didn't even know how to close these damn portals!

-Iris? Sei looked at his wife, the king, panting and tired from fighting already. It was too late, too many had crossed over while they have killed so few. She just could not take it any more right now, she was too tired. He knew that look of hers; she was such a bad loser but his time, they could not win even if she was not used to losing. They had to retreat, for the sake of their unborn child, she had to live. Her being with the child was not much of a help in the battle, anyway. She was too tired, and they had to retreat.

-Iris!!!! Orders!!!????

She looked at him, heavily breathing and mad. She could barely stand on her own and she was taking support in the blade. He reached her, grabbed her from behind, and offered her support. She looked at him, trying to decide.

-Retreat... he could barely hear her.

-RETREAAAAT!!! Sei gave the order, and the detachment left alive started to back away from the invaders. 

Eight portals opened into the realm of the humans, within only a few hours apart. They had no time to react; they needed to build their defense and make a treaty. Through those portals, more shadows came into the human world, Just as 1200 years ago, when the shadows came to these lands. First, the Shadow Assassins came through and they established the borders of the kingdom. They were the ones who founded the kingdom and the first dynasty of shadow kings. After them, the bulk of the army arrived immediately, in order to secure the conquered territory and secure the resources. Then came the first blacksmiths, to study the weapons of those already occupied by the army and technology, so that it could be incorporated into their knowledge if it was advanced enough.

She knew what was coming, and she knew what they were doing. She did not understand why they were stronger, as they were just shadows like they were. How could they advance like that? Even the weapons were different yet not too advanced. But physiologically, major transformations took place, and they were stronger, managing to dose their strength to such an extent that they almost destroyed them.

Iris looked at the last portal just opened an hour ago. It just happened for them to be close to the place and so they have been ambushed. It seemed like they were all without exception berseker warriors, but who controlled them? For in this world, the bersekers were not fighters to fight and think individually, but they were connected to the consciousness of the King who commanded and controlled them all as a whole, while all those who came out of the portal seemed as strong as the ones of The Warchild House, but they were all Bersekers and fought individually and self-consciously. How was that even possible? Did they evolve that much? Were they not the shadow descendants that they did not recognize? Were they the enemy? They have been killing each other for hours now, ever since the first portal opened yesterday. They did not seem to recognize the essence of the shadows in them either. What was happening?

-Silver!! Where is Silver?? Iris yelled still trying to catch up her breath. 

-Mother! I am here! The one called Silver jumped right next to her spot, carelessly swinging a bow in her hand and waiting for her order.

-Silver! the arrow wiped her smooth skin leaving a pink mark on her milk-white cheek. Her luck that she avoided it at the last moment, leaning her head on her back. The arrow stuck right into the tree behind her. 

-I'm fine, mother. What do we do? She just slowly stroked the area where the arrow touched her, looking in the direction from which it was drawn. She found Him. He had just come out of the portal when she saw him earlier, another portal close by, and his men were fewer when they came through. Tall as a fir tree, with shiny black hair spread over his shoulders, flowing in waves. Wild and strong as a predator, with that look that shouts for blood and prey of war. With a perfectly built body like a machine ready to war, with his shiny black armor, and his beautiful blades... But those eyes... most of all, those eyes were burning with that passionate desire to war, that hunger to kill... just as fit as a Warchild, just as her mother's looks. She would recognize that hunger any time. 

She understood they were stronger. She looked for her brother, and found him across the battlefield, fighting still, coming towards them. Oh, no, He saw him running towards them!!

-Mother!! Moon made her mother pay attention to the scene. The soldier looked at her brother just as a tiger looks at its prey and prepares to chase. With a smile of satisfaction in the corner of his mouth, with his muscles contracting and preparing his body for the new challenge that runs in a zigzag like an agile gazelle, without knowing the danger that awaits it. 

-He will not dare!!! Iris of Warchild, the king of the shadows joined both swords in the well-known Golden Bow and yelling wild and running towards her son, and jumping over the strangers who had invaded her territory drew their attention to her and distracted them from pursuing her son. Her silver armor was now stained with the blood of the enemies who had attacked her, but that only told them all how stubborn she was and how determined she was to defend her people. In their eyes, she already seemed the right enemy that really deserved their attention. Making her run towards them, she heard Sei behind.

-No, no, Iris, don't!!! Protect the kiiiiiiing!! Sei yelled to the rest of the shadows split across the camp and all the shadows running away from the portals made an instant turn, in a comeback, just to protect Iris's life, which did not go unnoticed. 

-Ohhh... so there is that king of yours.... a female???