The House of Veyrhold was known as the shield of Thalryn.
Heroes, they were called—the strongest and most ancient pillar of the kingdom, sworn since the first crown to protect the land and serve the empire without question. Generation after generation, House Veyrhold had given blood, steel, and silence in return for Thalryn's survival.
Even the Emperor himself could not move against them lightly.
They never complained. They never demanded reward. They served with everything they had.
And still—Thalryn burned.
The kingdom had never been one of great wealth. It was not famed for overflowing granaries or golden cities. Thalryn survived through endurance—through bitter winters, poor harvests, and endless border skirmishes.
But endurance meant nothing against greed.
When the enemy emperor set his sights on the North, the war came swiftly and without mercy.
The banner of Thalryn—an eagle with eyes lifted toward the sky, wings spread as if daring the sun itself—lay torn and burning across the battlefield. Fire devoured silk and thread alike, the symbol of the kingdom collapsing into ash beneath trampling boots.
SLAM!
A fist struck the war table hard enough to rattle the maps.
"The western gate is gone as well," a general said hoarsely. "If this continues—The entire kingdom will burn."
Duke Veyrhold stood over the map, armor scratched, hands stained dark with blood that was not his own. His eyes traced the red marks—enemy advances closing in from all sides.
Silence fell.
Not the silence of calm.
The silence of inevitability.
For generations, Thalryn had endured. But now—within three dawns, there would be no walls left to defend. By nightfall, there would be no people left to save… because they lost most of their soldiers.
The Duke's gaze drifted to the courtyard below. Soldiers he had trained since boyhood fought with the truth carved plainly into their faces and if this continued, they would not see another sunrise.
"We must come up with a plan, Duke or our people will be sold as slaves," the general said.
And then...
"...Father," The voice came from behind him—steady, clear and husky.
The Duke turned.
Levin Veyrhold stepped forward.
Black hair, slightly curled from sweat and wind. Ocean-blue eyes that reflected neither fear nor hesitation. Tall and broad-shouldered, every inch the Alpha heir raised for war and rule.
"May I suggest something?" Levin asked.
The Duke studied his son for a long time before responding, "If it saves this kingdom, then yes, Levin."
"Then we should seek aid from the Zahryssar Empire."
GASP!!!!
Everyone gasped.
Steel scraped against stone as someone staggered back. The Duke's eyes widened. "Do you understand what you're saying, Levin? That Empire—"
"I know," Levin interrupted.
His gaze remained fixed on his father, unflinching.
"The Zahryssar Empire, the land of serpents, is the most dangerous power on this continent," he said calmly. "Once a debt is born to them, it does not fade. It binds bloodlines. It forces kingdoms to kneel for generations."
His voice lowered.
"But don't forget, Father—Zahryssar is also the only empire capable of bringing this war to an end before everyone here burns. If we don't want this kingdom to fall, let us seek assistance from Zahryssar, father."
The chamber fell into a hush, because everyone knew the truth: Zahryssar is not an ordinary empire.
It is an empire of great power.
Its Emperor was a descendant of the Serpent—a ruler whispered to be less man than myth, whose power could silence battlefields overnight. To call upon Zahryssar was to invite salvation—and damnation in equal measure, but they all know how strong that empire is.
A single message and the war ends.
Without a choice, the Duke closed his eyes and said, "Very well."
The words fell softly, but they struck the chamber like a death sentence. No one spoke. No one went against it and somewhere beyond the walls, steel still rang and men still screamed—but inside, something older than war had just been awakened.
***
[Later—Private Chamber of Duke]
Moments later, Duke stood alone in his chamber, the door barred, the sounds of battle reduced to a distant roar. A single lamp burned on his desk. Beneath its trembling light, he reached for parchment untouched by dust.
His hand shook as he dipped the quill.
The first words were the hardest.
'To the Coiled Throne of the Zahryssar Empire—'
Ink splashed where his grip faltered. What followed was not pride. It was not diplomacy.
It was surrender.
He wrote of the war. Of the enemy's numbers. Of collapsing gates and the certainty of extinction. He stripped Thalryn bare on the page, offering truth—because lies would mean nothing to an empire right now.
And then—at the end, where a ruler's dignity should have stood—he wrote the vow.
'If the Zahryssar Empire grants Thalryn salvation,Kingdom of Thalryn will offer a bride to the Serpent Emperor.'
The quill snapped between his fingers.
For a long moment, the Duke stared at the words as if they might rearrange themselves into something less damning.
Then with a steadying breath, he pressed the seal into molten wax. The wax hissed, and with it, the fate between Zahryssar and Thalryn was sealed.
And it didn't take long to receive an answer; the answer came the next afternoon.
SLAM!!!
"My Lord—!"
The war chamber doors burst open as a knight stumbled inside, breathless, eyes wide with something close to terror.
"A messenger bird is seen approaching us."
Silence crashed down. They immediately walked out and...saw a golden eagle.
"The golden eagle…" one of them whispered. "That means—"
"It's a direct message," the Duke finished grimly. "From the Emperor himself."
They moved as one, stepping into the courtyard. The sky above was still bruised with smoke when a shadow passed over the stone.
Wings—vast and gleaming—cut through the air.
The golden eagle descended slowly, feathers catching the light like molten metal. It landed without fear, talons striking stone with quiet authority.
Its eyes—unnaturally sharp—lifted and settled on Levin.
For a breathless moment, the bird did not look away. As if it had already chosen Levin as his new master. The Duke followed the eagle's stare, then looked at his son—and gave a single, solemn nod.
When the message was unrolled, the parchment bore no embellishment. Only words written in precise, elegant script.
'The debt is noted.'
That was all and the fate was sealed.
The eagle took flight once more, disappearing into the sky as effortlessly as it had arrived. No horns sounded. No enemy banners flew by nightfall. By dawn, the battlefield lay silent.
The war was over.
And somewhere far to the south, the Serpent Emperor had begun to wait.