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❤️ War And Death (Part 3) ❤️
"Pregnant?" Cando asked in shock and Kando nodded his head. "Who is responsible? I mean when did she leave here? When did I kidnap her? Was she pregnant when I brought her here? Who is responsible?" Cando rushed at his questions. When had he forcefully taken the girl his brother loved from Ashland?
"I'm responsible for her pregnancy." Kando admitted.
"What if she had put the pregnancy on you? What if Morgan is the father." Cando told him. Maybe she did that to keep him by her side.
"No, it's not possible. The pregnancy isn't for Morgan. It's my child." Kando said. Morgan seeds wouldn't have formed a child within two days, it's highly impossible. Besides, Gwen would have told him if she slept with Morgan like she mistakenly did with Storm. "It's my child Cando." He affirmed
"How do you even know that when, I don't know, her stomach is still flat?"
"That's where you are wrong, Gwen will give birth to my child soon. I just hope and pray it should be when the war is over." Kando told him.
Looking at his back. "So you have a plan?" Cando asked.
"Yes, when we see the other armies, we switch sides, simple." Kando whispered to him.
"So we have to make sure none of them survived, right?" Cando looked back again.
"Yes, because talking to them to stop the blood shed is a waste of time and energy so fighting them is the only solution. Besides, we don't belong here in the first place." Kando uttered. "I saw Rumi, aren't you worried about her safety? She is with Dean and Edgardo and with the way Dean was staring at her, let's hope he doesn't fall in love with her."
Cando gritted his teeth at the thought of Dean loving Rumi but forced himself to smile.
"Why should I be worried about a full grown adult?" Cando asked.
"Because I know you really like her, stop pretending as if you don't have feelings for her Cando, I can see it in your eyes." Kando told him.
"She is strong so don't get deceived by her, you haven't seen her fight, maybe that's why you think she only depends on her magic," Cando said. "She is a fighter, she will get herself out of this mess. So why should I be worried about her safety again." he added with a grin.
"If you say so." Kando said with a shrug.
Silence fell between them as they flew towards the great wall. The only noise coming was from the armies, marching.
***
Ashland Kingdom: Palace:
Storm waited until it was really dark.
"It's time for me to go. I have lost two of you, I don't want to lose any one of you again." Storm told his eight Ninja's brothers as they all surrounded him. "Be watchful and make sure your eyes are on Gwen, Juno and my mother, and even though you are watching them, please be careful yourself." He added.
"We will." They said in unison to Storm. "Be careful also."
Smiling and shaking each and every of their hands. "I will see you all tomorrow." He told them, so sure of himself.
They gave their nod and were gone, hiding in the shadows around.
Storm went to bid Kira, Gwen and his mother bye before taking his horse and leaving the palace premises.
He encountered villagers from the other three kingdoms as they all entered Ashland. He smiled and noted that Morgan actually did listen to him.
As soon as he entered Altamon kingdom, he stepped down from his horse and tied it somewhere close to the old house he had grown up in.
"You will be safe here." he told his horse, patting it gently on its head. "Wish me good luck." he added and chuckled when the horse raised its two front legs up.
Moving away from the horse, he had decided to walk the remaining distance to Kudarma Palace.
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he started running and jumped up disappearing out of sight and then appearing in mid-air, then he was gone.
__
The Great Wall:
One after the other, they crossed over to the other side through the wall, the guards guarding the wall, bowing in respect as Cando and Kando walked past them. Seeing the way they were dressed and the armies, no one needed to tell them twice what was going on.
They forge ahead.
__
Ashland Palace:
Kira was seen pacing around the room, she was restless but tried not to show it. Storm is out there fighting and her father too. She hopes it all ends in their favor and no one gets hurt.
Looking at Phoenix she could see the older woman struggling to keep her eyes opened. She halts in her movement.
"Join Gwen in the bed. You look tired." She suggested.
"How can I sleep when my son is out there and I am here doing nothing to help." Phoenix pointed out.
"I am worried too about him but he put me in charge of you so you look tired to me and you need rest. Go on, I won't tell him you slept for a while, I promise." Kira reassured her.
"What if Edgardo comes and attacks us?"
"He won't, you worry too much. I'm here, I will protect you, okay?"
"If you say so," Phoenix said with a smile and went to join Gwen on the bed.
Kira smiled back at her and then continued her pacing only to pause again in her walking when she heard the loud gasp from Phoenix who was staring at Gwen.
"What is it?" Kira hurried up to Phoenix side to see what had made her gasp out loud. She stopped and opened her mouth in shock.
Phoenix had lifted the bedspread and saw that almost the lower part of the bed was covered in blo.od, and it was coming from Gwen.
Kira quickly leaned over and shook Gwen as hard as she could.
Gwen opened her eyes and stared at Kira in confusion until the pain she had felt before had her closing her eyes, this time it was worse that she couldn't stop herself from screaming out in pain.
"Do you want to bleed yourself to death! Why didn't you tell me that you are bleeding!" Kira yelled at Gwen before she ran out of the room.
Gwen didn't understand what Kira was talking about, she only felt pain from her stomach, until she felt the wetness between her legs and when she touched her thighs and lifted her hand to see, her hand began shaking when she saw the blood coated on it. Was her baby okay? She won't forgive herself if something happens to her child. She could have told Kira or Storm when she started feeling the pain instead of hiding it.
"It's okay Gwen, breathe in slowly and out," Phoenix's voice brought her back to reality. "It seems your baby wants to come out earlier than I thought." she added as she started rubbing her hand on Gwen's stomach gently. The baby couldn't even stay until after the war. "Breath, Gwen."
Gwen gave a short nod as she clasped her lips tightly to prevent another scream. Following Phoenix voice.
Kira ran to the kitchen and held the hands of the senior palace cook.
"Is there any midwife closer to the palace? I want her to come and get the baby out from my sister, it's killing her slowly." Kira shrieked. Sending for the palace midwife would take time, plus what is happening now, Edgardo might be watching.
"No my Lady, I don't know anyone around." the palace cook stated.
Letting go of her and making a U-turn to walk out of the kitchen when a hand stopped her from leaving.
"I-I can he-lp her." the voice stuttered.
Kira turned to face one of the girls that had followed her to the room.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Kira almost screamed at the face of the girl but controlled herself at the last minute. "Please, follow me quickly." she added grabbing hold of the girl and running out of the kitchen. They got to the room and the girl quickly went over to Gwen, touching her head and stomach.
"I will need hot water and a lot of towels and scent oil, right now," the girl said to them.
"Stay with her while I go get those things." Kira told Phoenix.
"No, you stay with her while I go get the things she mentioned."
"You don't know your way around the palace yet an-"
"Could both of you stop arguing and one of you should go and get me what I need?" She Interrupted Kira.
Without another word, Kira ran out of the room and ran back to the kitchen.
"She needs hot water, towels and scent oil." Kira repeated the girl's words to the Palace cook. "A lot of towels." She added a second later.
The girls present in the kitchen quickly started running around and soon Kira left the kitchen with enough towels and scent oil. Two servant girls carried the hot water and followed Kira.
"What's your name?" Kira demanded once she was in the room once again, giving the girl the towels and the other two girls dropped the bucket of hot water and left the room.
"Faith, my Lady." She answered and faced Gwen. "It's going to be fine my Lady." She added and took one towel, soaked it inside the bucket of hot water, brought it out and squeezed the water from the towel. With the wet towel, she begins to clean the blood on Gwen's thighs.
"Have you done this before?" Kira asked.
"Yes my Lady." Faith nodded her head.
"How many times have you done this?"
"Two times, she will make it two."
Kira didn't say a word, she just hoped the girl knew what she was doing.
"When I say push, you push okay my Lady?"
Gwen nodded quickly, breathing fastl. Kira went to meet Gwen and hold her hands as Faith got down to work.
**
The Borderline of Altamon:
Kando and his troops had left the mountains and were approaching Altamon when they sighted Ashland armies, their swords drawn out, bows and arrows aimed at them.
"Do we switch sides now?" Cando asked in a whisper and Kando shook his head.
"Not yet, when we have mixed." Kando answered. He could see Emera and Morgan.
"So we fight or wait for Dean's order?" Candi asked.
"We fight, can't you see they will shoot at us." Kando said as their own archery from their own armies came out and also aimed towards Emera and the others. He hoped Emera knows how to dodge their arrows. "Shoot!" he yelled out and they released their hold on the arrows.
"Seriously I could put all of them to sleep." Cando mumbled out as they saw Emera's side had also done the same. They both unsheathed their swords as they waited. "Get ready!" he shouted as they all used their shields as covers.
"You can't, they are much and even if you could do that it will drain you out, remember the first time you had used it." Kando reminded him.
"Yeah, it was during the first war we had against Edgardo. I blacked out for close to two hours." Cando nodded his head as he remembered what had happened years ago. With their swords in their hands, they made sure no arrows touched them. "Shoot at them!" He ordered.
Their archery did as command.and Emera responded also. This they continued.
"And that was when you became thirsty and we went to meet Sarah thinking she was on our side. So don't do it." Kando warned.
"Are we going to stay put and watch as we exchange arrows?" Cando asked.
"No, we will have to wait until both sides run out of arrows, then we can use our swords." Kando answered and as if on cue.
"We've run out of arrows my Lord." one of the archery told them.
"This is the time we attack directly," Kando said to his brother. "Draw out your swords and let's match forward with courage. It's an honor to fight alongside all of you. We welcome death with open arms and bravery. Victory is ours." he spoke out aloud. "For Kudarma!"
"For Kudarma!" They shouted in chorus and ran forward.
"They do not know they are running towards their own death." Cando told his brother as both sides clashed.
"Have faith in our armies, after all we were the ones who trained them including Dean himself. I won't be surprised if they manage to kill half the armies of Ashland." Kando murmured.
"So we attack them now?" Cando queried.
"No, we don't attack them now," Kando said. "Let's go and meet Emera. I have to make sure he is safe if not Kira will have my head."
Cando chuckled.
***
Kudarma Palace:
Rumi grew tired of sitting down and was up to her feet. Edgardo has been in that position, staring at the sky. It was as if he was having a silent competition with the sky itself.
Didn't he realize that the sky won't even move away from the rain and sun? Rumi thought.
"Are you sure Storm will come?" Dean asked as he walked up to meet them. "Or did you lie to me?" he demanded, bringing Edgardo's attention to him.
"No, he did not lie to you and Storm will be here," Rumi said before Edgardo would say a word. Dean stares at her. "He is coming." she added.
"And how are you so sure?" Dean asked.
"He told me himself and if Storm says he is coming, he will come. He is not the type that breaks his words." Rumi answered.
___
The Great Wall:
Storm was seen in front of the Wall, observing it. Kira had told him the secret passageway but he ignored it in favor of staring at the wall.
"Hey, who are you and what are you doing here?" one of the guards shouted.
Storm ignored him and touched the wall, he could sense the spells around it.
"Am I not talking to you," the same guard said, coming to meet him, drawing out his sword as he approached. "You are a dead meat." he added, thrusting his sword at Storm.
Storm stopped the sword from touching him and set the guard on fire, taking his sword.
"Who's now the roasted chicken?" Storm said as he watched the man screaming out his lungs. He snapped his fingers and the fire was gone, but the burnt smell of roasted skin filled the air around him.
The sounds of swords being unsheathed brought his attention to them.
"So you guard this wall all day and night including when it rains?" he asked not expecting any answer to that. "And you are all ready to die over a wall that doesn't know your worth of living." he added and clenched his fist, his fire returned, more darker than before and with it he punched the wall. "If I am you, you will let me pass in peace and no death will occur here neither will you die like your colleague, but if you don't..." he allowed his unspoken words to linger.
The wall made a sound as it began to crack and before the guards would know what's happening, the wall had fallen, breaking into many pieces.
The guards all quickly dropped their swords as they moved away from Storm.
"Yeah, I thought so," Storm said, smiling at them. "This decision is the best decision you've ever made in your entire life." He told them.
He ran, crossing over the debris from the wall and before one would say JACK he was out of their sight.
