Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby novel Chapter 302

Chapter 302: One Last Stand

"This is the land your forefathers protected for hundreds of years. Thousands of years ago, your ancestors came here believing I would lend a hand in the survival of Yggdrasil’s children... and I refused," said the beautiful green lady, a being shaped from vines, leaves, and living nature.

Eleanor waited, sensing there was more the woman wished to say. She had no idea how one was supposed to respond in a moment like this.

After a pause, the lady continued, "I am the spirit of this land. As its spirit, I am pitiless; I do not engage in the petty scuffles of mortals. I do not hide my beauty in the face of mortal cruelty or suffering. Society... and its hideousness... is your own creation. In the midst of murder, vengeance, and barbarism, I can only watch from the distance and perform my duty. Once you are born in this land, you must die. Death is the only truth of life. No one escapes universal nature or the implacable serenity of the sky."

She glanced around her and added, her tone mocking, "Mortal history is filled with conquest and plunder. After every conquest, the victors write history to glorify themselves and justify their wars. But war is never justified. What could be more foolish than a mortal claiming the right to kill another simply because he lives on the opposite bank of a river, and his ruler quarrels with someone else... when the two men have never even met? I refused to mingle with such foolish races. Yet your ancestors built their civilisation around me and chose to remain."

She paused again before continuing, "I knew my days with them were numbered. With the way the forces of the Darkside were conquering the lands, their end was fast approaching. The Stormfang Clan knew I despise needless violence and unjust slaughter, and for a long time they ruled these lands with a conviction meant to please me."

She chuckled and said, "And you know what? They succeeded. I promised your ancestors that as long as they lived with virtue, I would lend them my strength to defend this land from invaders. My power in physical form is limited... I cannot stray far from my resting place to aid the Stormfangs. I have already shown you how far I can move to assist them in defending these lands. Your ancestors received my help. Now, I believe it is your turn." The lady released a quiet sigh.

Eleanor bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you, spirit of the land. Thank you for protecting us. I have seen how close our enemies are to our border. Please, help us defend our home."

"Do not worry," the lady replied. "You have done nothing wrong. Like the Stormfang kings and queens before you, you are permitted to wield my sword manifestation. Place a drop of your blood upon the blade."

Eleanor blinked, puzzled. She looked to the lady’s face, searching for confirmation... she saw no sword anywhere.

At that moment, the ground trembled. A translucent green blade rose before Eleanor, as though pushed up from the earth itself. It was forged from a crystal-like substance that emitted a pale green glow, its tip still buried deep beneath the soil.

Eleanor gripped the hilt and tried to draw the sword, but it would not budge no matter how hard she pulled. The lady gave a soft laugh. "A drop of your blood on the sword."

Eleanor nodded in understanding. She drew a small knife from her belt, cut her fingertip, and let a drop of blood fall onto the blade. At once the sword flared with a vigorous green glow before settling back to its original hue.

She pulled again. This time there was no resistance. The blade slid free with ease, perfectly balanced in her hand, its size and weight feeling as though it had been crafted solely for her. She swung it lightly a few times; the motion felt natural, almost familiar. But the moment she wondered how she was supposed to carry it... needing a scabbard and all... the blade dissolved into drifting green particles of light.

Eleanor suddenly recalled the letter from the late king, her supposed father. He had written that the sword did not need to be carried; within the land’s boundaries, it would manifest in her hand whenever she required it.

She focused, consciously calling it. The sword reappeared almost at once. She tested it several times and confirmed it would always come when summoned.

Turning to the lady, she bowed. "Thank you for your generosity. I will use this sword to protect this land and its inhabitants."

*** 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

After entering her room, she bathed quickly and dressed for battle. Rather than donning the Queen’s or Princess’s ornate robes, she chose the black battle suit said to have been the Princess’s favourite. With daggers strapped at her waist, she looked more like an assassin. Studying her reflection, she felt a quiet satisfaction with her new appearance.

Eleanor climbed to the top of the castle. Night had already fallen across the land. Countless stars glittered above, indifferent to the war that would soon engulf the kingdom. The looming threat of death felt insignificant beneath the enormity of the sky.

Summoning her sword, she leapt down from the back wall of the castle and sprinted eastward. Nearby guards heard the dull thud of something landing, but before they could investigate, Eleanor had vanished into the darkness. With only a handful of men left to watch the grounds, none had the time to chase a lone figure running from the castle.

She ran all the way to the eastern border under the cover of night. By the time she drew near the Spider Army, dawn was beginning to stir at the horizon. The sky remained dark, and at such a late hour the patrolling soldiers were weary and careless.

Observing from a distance, she waited until the perfect moment to slip into the enemy lines. Using the shadows of the large trees as cover, Eleanor crept into the heart of the spider camp.

She already knew the Spider Army was divided into two ranks: soldiers and Arachnids. The soldiers were lesser spiders of varying size and strength. The Arachnids were the commanders... the true leaders of the swarm.

Arachnids were a ludicrous fusion of human and spider. From the waist up they possessed the torso, arms, and head of a muscular human, though their skin was a hard, grey chitin. Their faces were angular and hairless, their multifaceted black eyes glimmering with cold, alien intelligence above a sharp-toothed maw.

Below the waist stretched the bloated, segmented abdomen of a giant spider, from which eight powerful spear-like legs extended. Each limb was a barbed, black bristle-covered pillar of corded muscle, allowing them to move with eerie silence and terrifying speed. They could scale sheer cliffs and vault across ravines with effortless, fluid grace.