Page 38 of Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts #3)

Kitsuki

A s Kitsuki’s forces marched deeper into Kunushi territory, the landscape transformed from the craggy mountains of the border to dense forests that provided both cover and challenge.

Their progress had been steady, despite sporadic resistance from wolf shifter battalions that seemed more intent on delaying them than defeating them.

The absence of necromancy in the subsequent encounters left Kitsuki uneasy rather than relieved.

Silence could herald either a retreat or an ambush.

Kitsuki sat in his command tent, reviewing maps spread across the campaign table. The flickering silver flames of the brazier cast dancing shadows on the parchment. His fingers traced the path they would take tomorrow, committing each elevation change and potential ambush point to memory.

Jaega stood opposite him, his orange-gold eyes reflecting the silver fire as he marked defensive positions with small carved tokens. “The terrain grows more challenging as we approach Norello. These ridges would provide excellent vantage points for archers.”

“We will need to secure them before moving the main forces through the valley,” Kitsuki agreed, his voice measured despite the tension building within him. Each step toward Norello brought them closer to Nasume, to confrontation, and to an end to the conflict.

The soft call of the sentry outside interrupted their planning. “Your Majesty, Lieutenant Norkon has returned.”

Kitsuki straightened, exchanging a meaningful glance with Jaega. “Send him in.”

The tent flap parted to admit Rylan Norkon. Dirt streaked his face, and his black uniform bore tears not present when he departed. He bowed to Kitsuki, then saluted Jaega.

“Your appearance suggests an arduous journey,” Kitsuki said.

Norkon stood straighter. “Indeed, Your Majesty. I have much to report, none of it encouraging.”

Kitsuki gestured to the third chair at the table. “Sit. You look as though you have pushed yourself to the limit of endurance.”

“Thank you for your kindness.” Norkon sank into it with relief.

A servant appeared with a goblet of wine, which the lieutenant accepted with a grateful nod.

He took several sips before turning his attention back to his king.

“I flew to Norello as instructed, maintaining raven form throughout the journey.”

“What did you discover?” Jaega asked.

Norkon took a measured breath. “Norello has changed since my last reconnaissance mission. The city appears abandoned. No civilians remain on the streets or in their homes. The markets stand empty, the forges cold.”

It was unwelcome news. Kitsuki asked, “Evacuation?”

“No, Your Majesty. The people remain, but not as citizens. They have been repurposed.”

The word hung in the air, heavy with implication. Kitsuki’s dragon stirred within him. “Explain.”

“The civilians have been conscripted into labor forces,” Norkon continued. “They work day and night without rest, hauling materials to the castle, digging trenches around the city perimeter, constructing what appear to be ritual sites at key points throughout Norello.”

Jaega’s brow furrowed. “What manner of ritual sites?”

“Large circular platforms of black stone, each inscribed with runes that pulse with green light after sunset,” Norkon explained. “I risked closer observation of one such platform. The workers who construct them change.”

“How?” Kitsuki asked, his suspicions growing.

“Their skin grays, and green veins become visible beneath the surface. Their movements resemble manipulated puppets.” Norkon’s voice remained professional, but Kitsuki noted a subtle tremor in his hands.

“They no longer speak or rest. They work until they collapse, and then they rise again to continue.”

Kitsuki exchanged a grave look with Jaega. “The Hollowed?”

“That would be my assessment, Your Majesty,” Norkon confirmed, “based on the historical accounts I studied in the past. Though the process seems sped up compared to those records. Instead of changing over time, these civilians transform as soon as they’re within range of the platforms.”

“What of Nasume himself?”

“I did not see him, but the castle has transformed as well,” Norkon replied. “The obsidian walls now bear strange runes that glow with a green light. Nasume remains within, but he is not alone.”

Kitsuki felt a chill that had nothing to do with his ice magic. “You saw someone else?”

Norkon grew uneasy. “I observed a figure unlike any I have ever encountered. A presence in black robes adorned with the same green runes, moving between the ritual sites. It was a void where a person should be, as if the night itself had been folded into human shape and bound by those glowing symbols.”

“What did it do?” Kitsuki asked.

“It inspected the ritual sites, adjusting the rune patterns, directing the Hollowed workers with gestures that required no words.” Norkon shuddered at the memory.

“The air grew colder in its presence. Plants withered as it passed. Even in raven form, I felt an instinctive revulsion, a primal need to flee.”

“And the purpose of these sites?” Kitsuki pressed.

Norkon hesitated. “I believe they form a network, Your Majesty. A web of power with the castle at its center. Each completed platform strengthens the whole.”

“Where are the platforms placed?” Jaega asked.

He reached into his uniform pocket and withdrew a folded parchment, which he spread across the table.

It revealed a sketched map of Norello, with circular markings illustrating the positions of the ritual sites around and within the castle.

“There are twenty-three completed, with seven more under construction.”

“The Deathward Constellation,” Jaega murmured, tracing the connections between the points. “I have not seen this arrangement since the fall of Milvlar.”

Kitsuki frowned. “What is the Deathward Constellation?”

“A necromantic barrier of immense power,” Jaega explained. “When completed, it creates an impenetrable shield around its focal point. Nothing living can pass through without dying and becoming enslaved to the will of the necromancer who controls the ward.”

Kitsuki studied the map. “There seem to be uncompleted gaps in the southern and western quadrants.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Norkon said. “The platforms in those areas are still under construction. Based on their current pace of work, I estimate completion within a week or two.”

Jaega frowned. “That is a problem when we are over a month away from reaching Norello with our army at the rate of these skirmishes. If the Deathward is completed, a direct assault on the Norello castle becomes impossible.”

“There is more, Your Majesty,” Norkon continued. “There is a cemetery at the eastern edge of the city, where I discovered something that forced my hasty retreat.”

“What did you find?” Kitsuki asked.

“It has been desecrated by excavating the ground and breaking open the ancestral tombs. In its place stands a vast field of bones, arranged in patterns that mirror the runes on the platforms.”

“The preparations are unmistakable,” Jaega said, dread filling his voice. “They await only the final ritual to rise as an army of the dead.”

The implications settled on Kitsuki’s shoulders. Nasume had always been ambitious, but his venture into necromancy represented a threat beyond mere territorial conquest. It was an assault on the natural order itself.

Norkon hesitated. “Among the remains, I discovered bones of enormous size. Ancient and weathered, yet unmistakable in their origin.”

“Dragons,” Kitsuki stated, the word bitter on his tongue.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Though I do not know where they would have found them in Kunushi, so far away from dragon territories. But their purpose seems clear, given necromantic practices.”

“Necrowings,” Jaega said, the single word heavy with dread. “Nasume intends to create necrowings.”

Kitsuki maintained his composure despite the revulsion rising within him. “You did not witness any animation of these remains?”

“No, Your Majesty. The preparations appear extensive but incomplete. The bones themselves, however…” Norkon hesitated, searching for the right words.

“I do not know how to describe it, other than saying they possessed a malevolent awareness even in their dormant state. As I observed from concealment, it was as though they sensed my presence. The surrounding air shimmered with the same sickly green light, pulsing like a heartbeat.”

“It must have been forging a soulflame,” Jaega murmured. “That is the necromantic energy that will animate the bones once the ritual is complete.”

“I withdrew before being detected,” Norkon continued. “The Hollowed workers became agitated, as if responding to some silent alarm. They began searching the area, so I made a strategic retreat.”

Kitsuki frowned at the implications. “Your report confirms what Maseo warned us about. He mentioned Nasume’s intention to raise an army of the dead, though he did not understand the full extent of his father’s plans. If they complete the Deathward Constellation before then…”

“The devastation would be immeasurable,” Jaega finished.

Kitsuki considered his options. “Then we must accelerate our advance. Every day we delay gives Nasume more time to complete his preparations.”

Jaega shook his head. “There is no way for our entire military to reach Norello that fast when we continue encountering battalions on our journey. There is also the issue that the ritual sites throughout the city form a defensive network. As our forces advance, we would trigger each platform, animating the prepared remains in that sector.”

“A trap within a trap.” Kitsuki studied the map before him with renewed intensity. “We must proceed with caution.”

A moment of silence fell over the tent as each man contemplated the dire implications of Norkon’s report. The silver fire crackled in the brazier, casting long shadows across the war table.

Norkon spoke again, his tone cautious. “Your Majesty, may I make a suggestion?”