"Alex!" one of the men called out upon seeing the king approaching with drooped shoulders. Dawn was already breaking and the desert was kit in a soft, orange hue.
Alex walked till he was in front of them and stopped moving.
The men looked at him in wonder.
"Your majesty...?"
"Let's head back."
"What? What happened out there?"
"I said let's head back." he said, looking up at them with hard eyes. "I'll explain when we get back."
With that, he diverted his gaze and walked past them towards the exit of the border.
The three men looked at each other in hesitancy. He hadn't even bothered asking them if they were alright from that intense fight. Since he left them at the front, it seemed like the number of those beasts only kept increasing the more they vanquished them. They had nonetheless kept the fire burning until at last, they were all gone.
