The day of the Battle for the Throne had arrived, and Ashton stood at attention alongside his fellow Elite Members of the Demon Slaying Squad. They were gathered in the Imperial Palace, having been hired by the council to serve as overseers and peacekeepers for the battle among the Fey Princes.
Ashton's eyes swept over the crowd present on the battlefield, taking note of their armor and weapons. He could feel the tension in the air, a palpable energy that crackled and hummed with anticipation. Each Prince here was vying for the throne, each one hoping to emerge victorious from the battle.
Suddenly, the trumpets blared, signaling the start of the battle. The crowd erupted into a cacophony of noise as the fey princes charged into the arena, their weapons glinting in the sunlight.
Ashton watched carefully, his hand resting on the hilt of his staff. He could see that all of the Princes were skilled warriors, each one fighting with a fierce determination to emerge victorious. The clang of metal on metal echoed through the entire battlefield, the sound of battle filling the air.
Ashton and the other Elite Members of the Demon Slaying Squad moved quickly through the crowds, hopping from one tree to the other, making sure that no one was causing any trouble. They were the peacekeepers, tasked with ensuring that the battle remained fair and that no one broke the rules.
Ashton watched as one of the fey princes took a vicious blow, his armor cracking under the impact. He moved forward, his spells at the ready, prepared to intervene if necessary.
But to his surprise, Ashton watched the injured Prince Tathariel being assisted by his older brother, Eolande. He had expected the princes to fight with a cutthroat intensity, each one trying to eliminate the others in their quest for power.
But seeing Prince Eolande and Prince Tathariel work together to protect each other, Ashton realized that the situation might not be as cutthroat as he had thought. It was possible that these two princes had formed an alliance, agreeing to work together in order to ensure their mutual success.
Ashton's mind raced as he considered the implications of this possibility. If Prince Eolande and Prince Tathariel were indeed working together, it could mean that the battle for the throne was not as straightforward as he had thought. It would be much more difficult to predict the outcome if the princes were working together, and it could potentially mean that the balance of power in the fey kingdom was about to shift.
'Oops, I need to move on.' Ashton inwardly hooted. His team had an agreement to perform rounds on the entire battlefield to ensure that they could see everything with a fresh perspective.
This will allow them to pinpoint any strange occurrences better and interfere when they are required to do so.
Ashton then arrived at the other end of the battlefield and watched as the armies of Prince Gwynneth and Prince Faeril clashed on the battlefield.
There were no onlookers aside from the Council, who were observing from a distance. Instead, the soldiers themselves had come out to fight, each one supporting their chosen prince.
The battle was fierce and chaotic, with swords clashing and magic spells flying through the air. It was clear that both sides were evenly matched, with neither gaining the upper hand.
Ashton's attention was drawn to Prince Faeril, who was standing at the back of his army, watching the battle unfold. There was something sinister about the way he was looking at the fight, something that made Ashton uneasy.
Suddenly, Prince Faeril's soldiers surged forward, their swords flashing in the sun. They were moving with a speed and coordination that was almost supernatural, and it was clear that they had been given some sort of advantage.
'Ah! I see what's going on here...' Ashton reacted inwardly.
As the battle raged on, Ashton saw that Prince Faeril had managed to bribe some of Prince Gwynneth's soldiers to switch sides. The treachery was brutal, with soldiers stabbing their former comrades in the back.
Prince Gwynneth himself fell victim to one such betrayal, struck down by a soldier he had once trusted. The prince's death was a blow to his army, and they began to falter in the face of the enemy's onslaught.
'Damn! What a sinister kid! I can't believe that he's the youngest out of them. He's as sly as an old fox!' Ashton once again reacted inwardly.
'I would kill for some popcorn and soda right now, not gonna lie. This is some really entertaining shit. The best part is I'm in the front seat too.'
Prince Faeril approached the dying Prince Gwynneth, who was lying on the ground, bleeding heavily.
"You were a worthy opponent, Gwynneth," Prince Faeril said, looking down at him with a mixture of respect and contempt.
"Is this how you plan to win the throne?" Gwynneth gasped out, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"By any means necessary," Prince Faeril replied coolly. "You should have known that, Gwynneth. This is a battle for power, after all."
Gwynneth's eyes flickered with anger and betrayal. "I thought you were different," he muttered, before coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Prince Faeril knelt down beside him, his expression was unreadable. "You thought wrong," he said quietly, before standing up and walking away
Prince Faeril's army seized the opportunity and pushed forward, their soldiers fighting with ruthless efficiency. Ashton watched in horror as they cut down anyone who stood in their way.
It was a decisive victory for Prince Faeril, who emerged from the battle victorious. But the cost had been high, with many soldiers on both sides dead or injured.
Ashton could feel the tension in the air as the fey princes and their armies regrouped. It was clear that the battle for the throne was far from over, and that the stakes were higher than ever.
'Okay, that's one Prince down.'
'Time to move to another location!'
He followed the patrol route that his team agreed upon and ended up seeing another intense clash. This time, it's between Prince Ardan, the eldest, versus Prince Calanthor.
Ashton watched as Crown Prince Ardan led his army in a fierce battle against Prince Calanthor and his army. It was clear that Calanthor was at a disadvantage, as his army consisted mostly of inexperienced fighters.
Ashton couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Calanthor. It wasn't his fault that he was born into a weaker position than his brothers. But at the same time, he couldn't deny that Ardan and his soldiers were highly skilled warriors.
'It makes sense because he'd be alive for longer. He also has the best preparation out of all the Princes.' Ashton mused to himself.
The fighting was intense, with the sound of clashing swords and battle cries filling the air. Ashton watched as Calanthor was pushed back, his army slowly losing ground to Ardan's superior forces.
It was clear that Calanthor was outmatched, and Ashton knew that if things continued this way, he would be eliminated with extreme prejudice.
But then something unexpected happened. Prince Eolande and Prince Tathariel, who had been watching the battle from a distance, suddenly intervened.
'Ohhhhh, shit!'
Ashton watched in surprise as the two princes charged into the fray, their armies following close behind. It was clear that they were there to aid Calanthor.
Ashton couldn't help but wonder what the two princes were up to. Had they formed an alliance with Calanthor? Or were they simply trying to level the playing field?
Either way, their intervention turned the tide of the battle. With the added reinforcements, Calanthor's army was able to push back against Ardan's forces.
Ashton watched as the battle raged on, unsure of what would happen next. The atmosphere was tense, with everyone on edge as they waited to see who would emerge victorious.
Ardan glanced over at the grizzled veteran who had served as his advisor for years. "What do you suggest we do, old friend?" he asked.
The veteran scratched his beard thoughtfully before replying, "Your Highness, I believe we should split our forces. Send half of our troops to take on Calanthor's army head-on, while the other half goes after Eolande and Tathariel. If we can take them down quickly, we can even the odds and turn the tide in our favor."
Ardan nodded in agreement. "Good idea. But which half of the troops should we send where?"
The veteran studied the battlefield for a moment before pointing to a group of soldiers. "Send those troops to take on Calanthor, Your Highness. They're our strongest fighters and should be able to handle the challenge."
Ardan nodded again. "Very well. And the other half goes to the conspirators?"
"Yes. We will send them after Eolande and Tathariel," the veteran said firmly. "Those two princes are not as experienced in battle as Calanthor. If we can take them down quickly, we can turn the tide of the battle in our favor."
Ardan nodded once more, impressed with his advisor's strategic thinking. "Very well," he said. "Let's split our forces and go after them. We cannot let them defeat us!"
