He felt crushed under the weight of his emotions.
Emotions so heavy that he could run no more.
Each step he took was a testimony to the sacrifice of his friend.
"Why is this happening to me.
Did I offend someone in a past life.
This world is so cruel?" Leo dreaded.
The steps only got heavier.
[Step]
("Oh honey, he said his first words…"
"He's growing up to look exactly like you…"
"Leo! Stop that"
"Remember, you two are my greatest achievements, I love you so much…"
[Sob] "How long are you going to keep me waiting Lorent…I feel so lon…ely.") The memories of his caring mother echoed through his mind.
[Step]
("Bro look, I'm doing it just like you…"
[Giggles] "Bro you're so cool…"
"Hey, what does the capital look like?"
"Come on, I'm not short just growing, I'll reach you soon".) The cheerful little voice of his brother shook his mental walls.
[Step]
("Oi Leo no fair, you're too fast…"
"Marcus this Marcus that, you can't even decide for yourself half the time…"
"Let's go to the academy, all three of us…"
[Kukuku] "If you get anxious remember what Moore sounds like while singing."
Leo…I- can't feel my legs.) The voice of Marcus he sought for knowledge tore down his spirit.
[Step]
("Kiddo, this is how you ride a horse…"
"Say what, be a good chap and I'll get you to the central academy once you turn sixteen."
"…Business isn't doing well, but you know I have to see a smile on my kids faces, and yours as well Claire…"
"Got attacked by bandits on the way, lost a lot of money.
I'll go to the second sector for a few months, he's turning sixteen soon, need to keep his dreams alive."
"I'm sorry, I truly am"
[Bang!]) The remnants whispers of his father who he sought as a last hope, shattered his hope.
[Step]
"What more do I have to lose.
I'm hungry, I'm thirsty.
Everything in my body hurts.
Why do I still move.
Why walk, when I can just lay here forever.
Mom, I don't think I'll be able to make it." Leo was on the verge of losing his will to live.
-
And then it occurred.
Time stood still.
The world was muted.
Colour flushed from the world as it became shades of black and white.
All activities in the empire simply paused;
From the soldiers on the battlefield readying to enter their battle formation;
To the cannon balls that had been fired which were now stopped mid air.
From Leo and the critter a metre behind him;
To the father who had forsaken his son.
The kids playing without a care in the world.
The king seated on his throne.
An old lady cleaning the abandoned church.
A couple that indulged in the act necessary for reproduction;
They all simply froze.
"You all have forgotten what it means to be preyed on, your survival instincts have dulled.
Stop the commandments and be free from the sprouts of the curse lest you be wiped from the face of the earth.
You all are like frogs that mistake the well for the world, Explore; reclaim; remember.
Harness once more, the blessings of aether!"
These words reverberated through the minds of all humans but the dead.
Images of weird symbols fluttered through the minds of the people.
As the voice uttered its last word, colour filled the world one more.
The cogwheels of time had rolled once again.
-
Mass confusion ensued around the empire.
Humanity knew their fate was no longer in their hands.
Even on the battlefield, the mightiest men were panicking beneath their amour.
And then there was Leo.
"What was all that?
Blessings? curses? aether?" Leo muttered to himself.
[Boom!] The explosive shells of the canon exploded on impact with the critter horde.
Multiple explosions, many missed but the ones that hit cleared most of them out.
Only the ones directly behind him remained, those too were blown apart by the shockwaves of the blast.
But in that moment Leo could care less about the explosions behind him.
Shrapnel had tore into his flesh hurt but at that moment he felt no pain.
Even unlike the others, he was neither in confusion nor panic.
"What do those words mean, what do they do…
I want to know" He was overwhelmed with curiosity.
His eyes gleamed.
"If I die now I never learn what those mean.
If I die now the efforts of Marcus will go to waste.
My goal is that wall, and I'll get to it alive.
I walk for the woman who birthed me.
For the Man who moulded me.
For the one who looked up to me.
For the one I looked up to.
[Clanging of iron could be heard in the distance.]
I refuse to die a worthless death" Their figures flashed before his eyes.
His steps felt lighter, but his body couldn't keep up.
He fell to the ground, on Marcus's corpse.
After a short while, a horse reared up beside him; It was commander Ren's.
"Ouch, head still hurts.
What a strange kid." Ren said.
"I'm sorry kid but you'll have to rest here.
Who dared put kids on the battlefield." Ren felt empathetic towards the death of Marcus.
He closed Marcus's lips.
The ground was now vibrating, the oscillation was gradually increasing.
Ren looked over at the distance.
"The unevenand is making it hard to gauge their numbers." Rent worried.
He put Leo up on the horse and made his way back to the formation.
-
Back in the battlefield.
The voice had made their ears bleed.
The Supreme wasn't exempt from this either, he was in as much disarray as the others.
The heaven on earth had been reduced to the grass on dirt.
"If I falter here, would I still be qualified to be the supreme?" Admist his confusion spored the thought to regain control.
He bit his bottom lip till it bled.
The pain brought him back to his senses, control had been regained.
He looked around him, few were near sane, the vast majority were in panic.
He uncasqued his helmet once again, threw it to the floor, then equipped his large metal shield.
He grabbed his mighty axe and raised his shield.
[CLANG! CLANG!! CLANG!!] He rammed the pole of the axe into the shield multiple times.
The sound encapsulated the field of battle, the resonance made it very loud.
Their cries had turned to grunts.
He had brought the troops back to sanity.
"Now get back to formation!" Heimer ordered as he waved his axe left and right.
The formation was back in order.
Ren was heading towards them in full speed.
He stopped the horses in front of the Supreme to give a report.
"Sir, reports on the critters.
As we suspected a horde of them is incoming"
"How many are they?" Heimer asked Ren.
"At the very least, over nine thousand." [1]Ren answered.
"Over nine thousand?" Heimer's eyes widened.
Ren nodded.
"Any sign of the large one?" Heimer asked.
Ren shook his head.
"Good job, the kid looks battered up.
Make sure his wounds are tended to." Heimer was referring to Leo.
"Sir!" Ren affirmed.
He now trotted towards the battalion.
A path opened up for him as he passed through, and closed up behind him.
[1] Nappa, what does the scouter say about his power level?