(Regaleon's POV)

The sun has just set and we still could not find any entrance inside the ruins. The men were tired from searching all afternoon and I let them rest when night fell.

My patience is also getting thin, knowing that my wife Alicia is all alone under the sea. I would like to get the remaining key fragments as fast as I could, before Dimitri and the others get to the port city of Veluria.

'How is Alicia doing?' I thought to myself while I was pacing back and fort. 'I hope she is doing okay. What if she feels cold while she is all alone down there? I should have made an effort to get pass that azure dragon.' The feeling of regret is clouding my judgement every single minute that passes by.

"Your majesty…" Alex walked near me with caution. His facial expression is full of worry. "The men has rested enough, we can continue searching once again."

I stopped from my pacing and saw my men looking at me with worried eyes. They saw my anxiousness just now and made me feel embarrassed. I was their leader and captain in this mission, I should not let them see me this down.

"Thank you for worrying about me, but I am alright." I replied while patting Alex's shoulder and looked at my men. "Thank you for worrying for me, but all of you also need rest. We have searched quite a wide area all afternoon, and I know you feel wary and tired as well." My men looked at me with somber expressions but changed into determined looks.

"Your majesty, we can still go on another round after resting."

"The area of the ruins are wide, we still have some places we have not yet searched."

"You also need rest your majesty. You also have been going all afternoon non stop."

"Leave it to us your majesty, we will surely find something."

"Do not worry your majesty. Have faith in us. We will surely find the entrance to the ruins." Alex said with a determined expression.

"Thank you, all of you." I felt warmth in my heart. My men gave me courage now that I needed it the most. "But rest a little more. The night is also dark with a new moon, so be careful while searching the areas. I will also join you in searching once again after taking a needed rest."

The men brightened up after hearing my words. Some of the men had started to set up camp while the others started fire and cook dinner. We plan on going out in turns in the night, but I still advised that if it is dangerous, it would be better to go back to camp and start searching again in the morning.

The night was dark with only stars illuminating the night sky. Our only source of light is the fire we just started and torches that we placed in the vicinity of the camp. We made sure to secure the perimeter just in case there are wild animals in the area.

"Your majesty, please have something warm to eat." Alex brought me a bowl of warm soup to fill my stomach.

"Thank you Alex." I replied.

"Do not mention it your majesty." Alex smiled awkwardly at my compliment. "It is not much, but at least it can fill our stomachs."

"It's okay. I am used to camp food since I was young." I smiled politely at him.

"I know your majesty." Alex sat down next to me and started to sip from his bowl. "You also had a rough childhood. But it is thanks to you that we Atlantians, had a place to call home. We are always grateful to you, our savior."

"I have regarded all of you as brethren, then and now." I said with a smile. "I was also someone who was shunned by my half brothers. I have to learn how to fight in order to survive. I just extended a helping hand to all of you, who also had the same experience as mine."

"And because of that, we are ever so grateful to you sire. We will forever be loyal to you, your majesty." Alex said with a smile. "And we will also do everything in our power to help you and our queen. Do not worry your majesty, we will find the entrance of the ruins and get that key fragment and go save the queen. We promise you." He said full with determination.

"Thank you Alex." I said wholeheartedly.

After some time has passed, a group of my men head out to continue the search while the others stayed in the camp. We have decided to set out to patrol in shifts to conserve energy and resources as well.

I was planning on heading out on the next shift after the last group comes back. I have readied my gear before heading out. Because the night was dangerous with beasts lurking out, I sharpened the sword I was carrying. My daggers were also tucked where I can easily get them, at my waist and also at my boots. While I was busy doing these chores, I heard a cry of a beast in the vicinity.

*AWOOO*

The men in camp heard a lone wolf howling in the night. If it was just one wolf, it will not pose a problem. But wolves always hunt in packs, and a pack of wolves are not something to be ignored.

"Alex, get some of the men ready and head out. I am worried about the ones that are not yet back." I said. "It has been some time since the first group had gone out, they should have returned by now."

"Yes sire." Alex bowed and got the men to prepare in haste.

The group that has prepared was ready to head out and I was also going out with them. But just when we are set to head out, explosions were heard one after another.

*BANG BANG BANG*

"Let us head out to where that explosion came from at once!" I shouted an order. "The ones that are left, be sure to set up a protective barrier."

My gut feeling tells me that something is off. If these were a normal pack of wolves the first group faced, they would not have the need to use magic powers.

"The ones that will come with me, be sure to keep your eyes open and alert." I said.

"Yes, your majesty!" The group of men said in unison.

Me and the group of men together with Alex set out to were the explosions were happening. We moved in haste, knowing that the first group might need our help.

Once we got to the place where the fight is happening, we can see fire had started to spread out. Trees have caught fire and the vicinity was in chaos. Trees were either cut from their trunks or branches, others have been uprooted entirely from the ground. The place was a small battlefield.

"Alex, there they are." I pointed out to the first group that set out.

They were either injured or limping, but all were alive and accounted for. I sighed in relief. We run towards them in haste.

"What happened?" I asked.

I can see some that were soaked with blood. I can see huge claw and bite marks on their bodies, the most serious was one that was missing one leg. I felt anger rush seeing that my men were severely injured. I used my white magic to heal those that were seriously wounded.

"Y-Your majesty…" One of my men that was less injured started to explain. "W-We… we were caught of guard. T-They… they were so huge. They looked like monsters." Fright was evident in his face.

"What were huge? What are you describing as monsters?" Alex asked.

"T-That…" He pointed out in front with fear.

Alex and I looked around to see something that shocked us. Meters away from us were a pack of wolves, but these wolves are not the normal wolves you see. These ones are huge, at least seven to eight feet high. They were snarling at us.

"Atlantian sc.u.m!" A voice came out from the largest one at front. It had a black majestic fur. "And I thought they have gotten extinct. Who would have thought a handful of them will come in our territory."

All of us were frozen stiff hearing tangible words coming out from the wolf.

Edited by: nalyn