Hounds of War [Yandere Generals x Female General Reader]

26. Midnight Ride.

Vanbinicci stayed curled on the ground, crying for what felt like hours. He clutched the letter to his chest, hoping that it would somehow give him the strength and courage that he needed. Hoping that it would support him like his father never had, but it didn't do anything except crumple. It was only made of paper after all.

Eventually, the tears stopped. He had accepted his fate. He knew what must be done. Rising to his feet he grabbed a sword from the rack and exited his tent, not bothering to put on any of his extravagant armor, he didn't deserve to wear it.

He walked through the darkened camp alone, the moon his only source of light and the glittering stars his only companions. After walking for a while he reached the edge of the camp where his bay mare was kept in a large corral.

He whistled low and she trotted over to him at once, nickering softly as he stroked her muzzle. He opened the gate and led her through it. He found his tack shortly after that. It had been years since he had fastened the saddle onto his horse himself, but even in the darkness of the night, his hands remembered how to do it.

Giving his mare one final pet he pulled himself up into the saddle. Turning to face the black silhouette of the Western Mountains he took off at a gallop. In his daze, he didn't notice that someone had seen him go, nor did he hear the sound of hooves following behind him.

. . .

Vanbinicci rode on and on moving as quickly as his beast would allow in the direction of the Vascinian Pass. The once well-maintained rode was decrepit as the war prevented there from being any trade or travel between the two conflicting countries.

As he continued his journey West he passed small farmhouses and villages, all abandoned and decaying from the lack of travelers passing through, another casualty of the wretched war.

Vanbinicci grit his teeth and growled as he remembered that their bastard of a King had once traveled that very rode to steal the woman who would later become his Queen. The general wondered if King Ilidoro had known on his returning journey every village and farm he passed would be left abandoned and the many who had aided him in his travels would be forced from their homes as a result of the war.

And it was all over a woman. The common folk had been spread some half-truth their current king fallen in love with a commoner from the neighboring province of Vascini and brought her home to be his bride, only for the lunatic of a crown prince of Vascini to declare war on Luccia, claiming that all the women in Vascini were his birthright.

Being raised as high in the court of Luccia as he was, Vanbinicci knew that the story was complete bullshit. The real reason for the war was even pettier. The current Queen Consort of Luccia had been legally married to the Crown Prince of Vascini and crowned as his Princess Consort before king Ilidoro of Luccia had snatched her away and brought her to Luccia. Outraged at the loss of his wife, the Prince of Vascini declared war on Luccia.

It made Vanbinicci sick to think that so many lives had been lost and so much suffering had been caused, all because of such a petty war. Well, he had enough of it. He was going to bring an end to the fighting or die in the attempt. He spurred his horse on, oblivious to the rider who had been keeping pace with him at a distance.

. . .

As the sun was setting behind the mountains Vanbinicci slowed his horse as he entered The Archdiocese of Crivell, or as it had been known for the past decade, The City of Eternal Slumber.

It had been given that odd name after all of the inhabitants of the small mountain village fell into an unbreakable slumber. No one was sure what caused it, but everyone wanted to avoid the place viewing it as cursed land.

Vanbinicci looked around nervously as he rode through the abandoned streets, the twilight making it even more unsettling. The only reason he was traveling through that spooky place was that the only Mountain Pass to Vascini lay through the village.

His spine pricked as the further he rode through the city the more he felt like he was being watched. After riding even further along the main road he nearly jumped out of his saddle as he heard what sounded like hooves following behind him, but there was nothing there. Even his horse was beginning to grow restless.

It came as a relief when the homes began to grow smaller as a giant cliff face came into sight. The road he was riding had once led through a narrow pass in the mountains to Vascini, but since the war began a massive barricade like a dam had been built, preventing anyone or anything from entering Vascini.

"What in the name of the eight brothers are you doing?!" Vanbinicci nearly fell from the saddle and his horse spooked at the sudden shout.

He turned over his shoulder and was surprised to see General Denlleonis on her graey mare riding towards him. He was sorely tempted to ask why she had followed him out there, but then he reminded himself that he had more important things to think about.

"I'm ending this war," He replied with a resigned flatness in his voice as he turned back around, and continued riding towards the walled-off pass. "it's been raging for too long."

"Don't be stupid general Arrogari," Y/N called as she rode up next to him, grabbing the reins of his horse and forcing him to slow down, "going up against that blockade by yourself is guaranteed suicide."

"Piss off," He snapped sharply, pulling away. He continued to ride towards the base of the fortress, unfazed by the knowledge that it meant certain death. "I don't need the help from a whore like you!"

"There's that temper of yours, now where's the rest of your common sense?!" Y/N scoffed, trying to reason with her fellow soldier. She rode ahead and stopped in front of the brunette, forcing him to come to a halt again. "You're an excellent strategist. You know that this task is lunacy. So why do you continue to pursue it? You're one of the most valuable assets this army has, do you think I would have come out here for just any soldier?"

Vanbinicci opened his mouth to say something snarky in reply, but then he froze. His olive skin turned pale as he saw a glint of light at the top of the wall fathoms above them. The Vansinians had spotted them.

His ears detected the soft twang of arrows being fired. What he did next was entirely on impulse without any conscious thought motivating him. He threw himself forward in the saddle to knock general Denlleonis out of the way of the oncoming volley of arrows. Then everything went dark.

A/N

Cliffhanger I know, sorry not sorry.

Vanbiniccini's character is more motivated by his past and his family than any of the other generals which is why I've had to cut it up into several chapters.

(I know that the other generals have family issues too, but Vanbinicci is on a level all by himself trust me.)

Until next time I'll see you on the other side

~J. C. Coltt.~