"Not all men are created equal..."
Death had come to the southern ranks of the Ocosian army. It arrived in a beautiful form, with an angelic face.
"...Some men have no name, no Grace..."
Atop a mound of rocks, dirt, and tangled trees, the new recruit sat.
"...And some possess everything."
Rodeln sat upon that mound—a mixture of clay-like soil and stones that seemed gathered from everything surrounding the battlefield.
His sword was thrust into the ground beside him. His men stood around the muddy tower, caught between wonder and awe.
On the opposite side of the battlefield lay a massive grave. The corpses of Oukosian soldiers were buried in a similar blend of soil, rocks, and vegetation. Human limbs poked out here and there; swords, shields, and tents were swallowed whole. Death had truly come to the Oukosian army in the south.
"It seems there was no need for a sword after all." He pulled the blade from the earth, stood up, and returned it to its sheath. "My apologies, Sword of Zinterith... not today." He patted the sheathed weapon.
With hands surrounded by a faint yellow aura, he pointed toward the north.
"Men of Questia! Next, we help our friends at the riverbank!"
He commanded with a stern gaze. It was clear he hadn't just earned his men's respect, but their absolute loyalty.
Questia had just broken through another major defensive wall of the Western Ocosian lines.
All by throwing a child into the fray. But that child... was no ordinary child.
__________
The ranks in the central front prepared for a midday clash.
Vandall and Nokio were in the midst of the crowd.
"We can't lose after yesterday's victory. We must keep going... there's no other way,"
Nokio said, his voice trembling with a mix of excitement and terror.
The two armies collided as usual,chaos, blood, screams, and severed limbs.
Vandal watched. He still looked eerily calm, that hollow expression masking his face. His pitch-black eyes observed everything, storing every detail in his mind.
But...
"But..." he muttered to himself.
"What is missing?"
It was his fifth day on the central front. He had tasted the horrors alongside everyone else. Yet, he felt himself slackening. He was doing a lot, never stopping.
"Damn, it's the kid with the bottomless stamina!"
Whenever anyone saw him, they recoiled, searching for any opponent other than him. He had become a terrifying nuisance.
A hand landed on Vandal's shoulder. He spun around.
A calm smile greeted him from someone who rivaled Casper's height. This man was handsome, with long red hair tied in braids. He wore a short-sleeved white shirt over a chainmail ves,the typical attire of a mercenary. Even Vandal wore something similar. The man held Vandal's shoulder with one hand and a massive axe in the other.
"Hah! Tartar?!" Vandal's face filled with surprise.
"Finally, you've dropped that damn scowl, you brat," the tall Tartar smiled.
"What are you doing here? Weren't you in the North?" Vandal asked,
though they were briefly interrupted by the combat.
Vandal cut through his enemies with his blade and swift movements, while Tartar tore them apart with an axe that seemed impossible for anyone else to lift.
Tartar shouted back over the noise, "The Oukosians retreated in the North! Orders came from the capital to join you at the riverbank on the central front!"
Vandal analyzed the news while handling the fight..he thinks "The capital... my brother Vanguard..."
"What about Canaria?!" Vandal yelled.
Tartar grinned. He swung the flat of his axe, creating a gust of wind that blew his enemies back, giving him a moment of rest. Resting the axe on his shoulder, he looked at Vandal.
"I don't know where you and Canaria get your way of thinking, but I know it's some kind of witchcraft."
He shouted the news so Vandal could hear:
"Yes! Canaria is coming! All of Questia is coming! Questia will end it here... at this riverbank!"
Vandal smiled. Cheers and shouts of joy erupted among the mercenaries and soldiers of Questia.
__________
"So that's how it is..." one of the Oukosian commanders remarked.
"It seems the Chief of Staff in Questia has truly stepped down," said another.
"Yes, old man Revern couldn't have advanced like this," one replied.
The large tent was a mess of maps and strategic planning.
"Today..." A tall man stepped out from the shadows. His blond hair had a tint of green. It was "The Fallen."
"Today will be the date of my return to the field. I will get them. Give me the orders."
Serious gazes followed. The youth beside him and the woman from before stood in strict discipline. The two who had mocked and joked earlier were now completely composed.
"I, too... can handle their front lines. I will create the right conditions for myself. We cannot remain without a fight," said the handsome youth. He looked disciplined and respectful; his hair, nearing a shade of blue, shone under the sunlight, as did his eyes.
"I, Friedrich Bismarck, sacrifice my blood and Lumen for the King!"
"And I as well..." said the beautiful woman sitting nearby. She was a vision of beauty. Her black hair was broken by a single white streak leading to her braid. Elegant scale-shaped earrings decorated the space between her ears and her white neck.
"And I... I, Astria Pauli, sacrifice my blood and Lumen for the King!"
Her declaration was full of femininity and a cold voice.
Silence..
"It seems you want to take back your previous statement," one of the attendees whispered to his colleague, who had previously spoken of the trio's childishness. The playfulness had its time, and this sternness had its time as well.
"Basilisk... do you ask the command present to lead your two friends toward the glory of the Western Ocosian Kingdom and the honor of its King, Theodulf, and its proud people?"
The commander asked. He seemed to be the highest-ranking officer there.
"Yes. Yes, My Lord Supreme Commander!"
The Commander looked sternly at Basilisk's firm face.
"Fine. Let's give them the fight they want."
Everyone exited the tent, the Supreme Commander's words echoing in their minds:
"Let's make it a showdown of Graces!!"
Gazes were filled with tension and the pursuit of glory.
Basilisk stood between his two companions, leading a procession of soldiers behind them. It was a sight full of pride, confidence, and white light.
__________
Canaria rode a horse that struck the ground at maximum speed. Her smiling expression was haunting. She had tied her hair into one long braid.
The braid danced with the wind of her galloping horse, her excitement matching the beast as she charged toward her comrades and men.
"Terrifying..." a man whispered to himself.
"I agree," Vanguard said.
The man startled, realizing Vanguard had heard him.
"It's alright.. She truly is terrifying. But on the battlefield..."
Vanguard spurred his horse to catch up with the distant Canaria.
"She becomes much scarier."
Canaria noticed Vanguard trying to approach her.
"Shouldn't you have stayed in the capital?!"
"Since when did you start caring about men other than your own, Canaria?"
"Since one of those men became the brother of my favorite student!"
Vanguard received her reply with a smile. It seemed Canaria respected the dark-auraed Vanguard. He was somewhat intimidating in appearanc,an older version of Vandal. His pale skin and dark features were the marks of the strange creatures in Questian folklore. He had a cold, light beard and deep, dark eyes.
"I won't stay in the capital because I've finished all my work there."
"Then take some rest. You must balance work and rest." She paused, then added, "And you know what? I won't take two students from the same family!"
Vanguard laughed at her words.
"I'll rest... only when I see my brother."
__________
Vandal was still in constant motion.
Nokio was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.
Tartar didn't look well either; his braids had come undone, leaving his long red hair in a mess. His hands could barely swing his axe at the enemies.
..
"It seems we must withdraw for today," said Commander Wilhelm of the thick mustache.
Kidman looked at the battle. Fatigue had taken its toll on both sides.
"Aren't we waiting for backup?!"
It was a good suggestion from Kidman, but...
"They are waiting for backup as well. If we show a retreat, they will do the same. They will rely on settling the matter with Grace."
Experience was speaking.
"Fall back, men! We have no strength left to continue!" Kidman shouted.
Following their leader's orders, the soldiers and mercenaries left the fight. They retreated slowly. Those still locked in combat eased the pace.
"I'll find you tomorrow."
"Let's continue tomorrow. Don't run away, eh?"
Soldiers from both sides exchanged challenges and threats.
The retreat in the Oukosian ranks was unusually fast and disorganized.
Vandal noticed it. So did the deputy, Kidman.
"What's the story?!" they both said at the same time.
"Nokio!" Vandal called out.
Nokio looked toward Vandal heavily.
Vandal pointed toward the retreating Oukosian ranks.
Nokio glanced at them, then looked back at Vandal, not understanding. "What?" he gestured with his hands.
Vandal cupped his hands around his mouth to shout, "Follow them!"
"Haaah?!" The exhausted Nokio didn't want to, but the stern look from Vandal said enough. Nokio trusted Vandal's judgment and vanished.
Nokio was good at stealth. He disappeared into the retreating crowds,the crowds crossing the river and heading toward their camps.
..
"What's the matter, Vandi?" asked Tartar, lying on the ground from exhaustion with his axe beside him.
"I don't trust this quick retreat. We need to retreat quickly too. We—"
Vandal wanted to speak but couldn't. He froze.
"What is it? What's wrong with you! Vandal?!" Tartar scrambled up to check on him.
Vandal was sitting but he stood up abruptly, his eyes bulging toward the sky.
"It's the same feeling as that time!!" Vandal whispered.
Tartar was confused. "The same feeling?! What are you saying?"
"Tartar... we have to retreat. We have to retreat fast, or else...!!!"
__________
High up.
Very high up... he floated in a space of silence.
He swam and drifted alone there.
"Ah, I never get tired of this view."
The man said, playing among the rocks that moved through the air as if they weighed nothing.
"This is the best part of my job."
He looked toward the sun, which was surrendering to the sunset.
The Fallen... Basilisk.
"Alright then."
With a smile full of malice, Basilisk looked down at the battlefield, which was nearly empty of Oukosian men.
"Time to work."