Anthony’s POV
The wind carried whispers through the fields of Demkas. At first, they were nothing more than rumours; the occasional passing of a stranger offering protection or favour, the strange glint of gold exchanged behind closed doors. No one thought much of it in the beginning. But soon, the whispers became warnings, and the warnings became worried.
But it was now too much and so much so that it eventually reached the hands of the castle guards.
Anthony stood atop the castle’s highest wall, scanning the horizon. His brow furrowed as he gazed out toward the distant villages, where reports had been trickling in about unusual behaviour. Refugees had been arriving in small numbers, claiming to flee from devastation- some said of Xu Kai's reign. But something didn’t sit right with h
