Kingdom Building Game: Starting Out With A Million Upgrade Points!

Lord Adrian's gaze turned steely as he met his son's glare. "And if we stay, we will perish."

He pointed toward the shuttered window, where the muffled cries of dying soldiers seeped in with the cold air.

"The imperial knights outside aren't common foot soldiers. They're carving through our men like wheat before the scythe."

He took a slow step toward his eldest. "Do you understand what that means? If they take us alive, you and I will be executed—drawn, quartered, made examples of. Your brother too. Our line will be wiped from history." His voice dropped, grave. "Your sisters, however… if they are captured, their fates will be worse than death. Made into pawns for the emperor."

Ian's breath hitched, the fight in his eyes wavering. But still, his pride refused to yield. "Then we fight!" he snapped. "Even if we fall, we—"

A sharp crack echoed through the room. Evelyne had stepped forward and slapped him across the face.

"Enough," she said, her voice firm but trembling. "This is not the time for foolish pride." She turned to her husband. "You said hurry. Then we hurry."

Ian swallowed hard, his jaw tightening as he bowed his head.

Lord Adrian gave a sharp nod to his wife before facing the guards. "Take them to the wolves."

They moved quickly through the hidden passages of the keep, torches flickering against damp stone. The walls dripped with moisture, the narrow tunnel echoing with the hurried footsteps of their escape.

At last, they emerged at the mouth of a cavern nestled in the frozen cliffs behind the keep. The howling wind greeted them, but more importantly—so did their mounts.

Six enormous Frostfang wolves stood waiting, their thick white fur blending into the snow. Saddlebags bulged with provisions—wrapped meats, furs, flasks of water and wine. Their handlers, already saddled, bowed as Lord Adrian and his family approached.

Lord Adrian turned to his children. "Mount up."

One by one, they climbed onto the massive wolves, gripping the thick fur as the creatures shifted beneath them. Evelyne held Lysara in front of her, while Elyse clung tightly to Darius's back. Ian, still stiff with lingering resentment, swung onto his own mount without a word.

Lord Adrian took the lead, his voice carrying over the wind. "Ride hard. Do not stop. No matter what you hear behind you—do not stop."

With a single command, the great wolves sprang forward, their powerful limbs carrying the fleeing nobles towards the Gorge of Aedwyn.

Behind them, Frostveil burned.

….

….

The clash was brutal. The northern warriors fought with a desperate fury, their swords striking hard against imperial steel. Laris met the charge head-on, his blade flashing as he parried and countered with lethal precision. He sidestepped a hammer blow that could have crushed his ribs, then ran the wielder through before spinning to deflect another strike.

To his right, Sir Edric's knights rejoined the fight, fresh from their victory on the northern slopes. Their sudden arrival turned the tide, forcing the defenders back step by step.

One of the elite warriors—massive, nearly a head taller than Laris—came at him with a great axe. The northern warrior swung wide, and Laris barely managed to twist out of the way. The blade cut through the air where his head had been moments before.

Laris ducked under the next swing, darted in close, and drove his sword into the warrior's armpit—a weak spot in the armor. The man grunted in pain, staggering back, and Laris slashed his throat before moving to the next opponent.

Above them, Roderik and his scouts rained death from the rooftops. Their arrows found gaps in the enemy's armor, bringing down officers and captains before they could issue orders.

A few defenders tried to flee toward the keep, but the imperial archers cut them down before they could reach safety.

Laris saw his opening.

"This is our moment!" he roared. "Push forward!"

His knights surged ahead, driving the elite warriors back toward the steps of the keep. The once-orderly defense had become a desperate last stand.

A horn blast echoed from within the keep—another signal, but not for reinforcements. Laris recognized it immediately.

Lord Adrian was leaving.

His men slowly lost morale.

Laris then shouted. "We end this now!"

The knights pressed forward, cutting down the remaining defenders as they stormed up the steps.

With a final strike, Laris kicked open the keep's heavy wooden doors. The grand hall lay ahead, dimly lit by torches.

Laris turned to his men. "You know what to do."

Sir Edric and the others nodded, splitting off to secure the keep while Laris and a handful of his best knights gave chase.

…

…

Garik and Lionel at the Gorge

The Gorge of Aedwyn was deathly silent. Garik stood at the edge, watching the only narrow pass that led away from Frostveil.

Lionel shivered beside him. "Will he come?"

Garik smirked. "When a man is desperate, he'll run toward any open door."

The sound of paws beating the snow soon echoed through the canyon. Lord Adrian was coming.

The young lord rode at the head of a dozen knights, his face pale and furious. His cloak whipped behind him, the wolf sigil of his house stained with soot.

Garik stepped forward, sword in hand.

Lord Adrian reined in his Frostfang wolf as soon as he saw the figures waiting at the mouth of the gorge.

His heart pounded in his chest, not from the brutal cold but from the realization that they had been expected.

Garik stood with his greatsword resting on his shoulder, his stance casual, confident—like a hunter who had already cornered his prey.

Beside him, Lionel adjusted his grip on his sword, his expression unreadable beneath his helm.

The only way forward was through them.

Lord Adrian's jaw tightened as his sons and knights pulled up beside him, their wolves shifting uneasily beneath them.

The beasts, bred for war, could sense the tension in their riders.

And the strength of those before them.

"Garik," Lord Adrian called. "Step aside."

Garik chuckled, shaking his head. "If I did that, what kind of knight would I be?" He gestured toward the narrow pass behind him.

"You know how this goes, Lord Adrian. You were always a cautious man, a strategist. I respected that. So tell me, where's your strategy now?"