Throughout the centuries there have been countless battles and wars, as well as disputes and personal feuds between the peoples. Up until 100 years ago, there even was a deep hatred between the elves and dwarves. Each claimed that the other had stabbed their king in the back and killed him. Only a few know what exactly happened, whose voices were soon silenced forever. Things are quite different for the kingdom of the beastmen. Initially, they had a fifth of their current territory. The land they had at that time was hardly enough for the whole population, which is why the first alliance between the individual tribes was formed. To keep the balance, however, surpreme leaders had to be appointed who stood above the others. This was the beginning of the arena and gladiator games. Out of all the tribes, 5 prevailed, the first leader of all was from the Wolf tribe, it was Fenriolus. Although he was not accepted by everyone at the beginning, he silenced them with his expertise and tactics. He played the most important role in the victories of the kingdom. For them it did not matter against which race they were fighting, the main goal was not limited to a single race. For a short time, the other races even formed an alliance to stop the beastmen. After this was accomplished, a peace pact was made, which was soon to be put to the test. For suddenly a race appeared on the scene that was far more powerful than any other race, the Erezal. The mutual hatred of the humans and Erezal soon became apparent. Since their territories were far apart, they had to advance through the other kingdoms. In the same way that the beastmen were once defeated, they joined forces to defeat Erezal. The war was harsh and very long, the might of this strange people was superior to that of the others, yet their inferior numbers forced them to their knees. To this day it was the bloodiest war, more than 20 percent of the population of each kingdom was wiped out of existence back then. Their victory was a high price to pay and made them feel what true sacrifice means. Through this event, the first official peace contract was made, although it has been broken many times over the centuries yet everybody has always found the way back to it. Regardless of how much time passed, everyone knew one important thing: waging war against the Erezal was insane and suicidal. On their return, everyone feared the worst, however, their peace deal came as a blessing to all of the races. Giving up a small part of the territory was not a big deal, as long as they didn't draw any anger, there was harmony. But when all of a sudden the human king tried to kill their leader, everybody knew that there will be war soon. The other races retreated while the humans took over the battlefield. Due to the foolish king, the humans were again at risk of a century-long war. That is why most of the villages and towns on the borders were evacuated and retreated. Inside, everyone was ready to defend themselves, but no one expected what was about to happen. If the other nations had known the real truth of the past, they would have fought on the side of the Erezal. For it was not the Erezal who had started the war, but the humans. The obsession was so big that they secretly went beyond the borders and hunted them down as far as possible. Once their numbers were sufficient, and they gained their new power, they were able to strike back which lead to the war. Nobody was spared, their hatred of the humans became uncontrollable. Anyone who stood in their way was annihilated, no matter if human or not. Hence, it was the humans who were responsible for all the victims. Until today this truth was not revealed, although there was a chance to do it. Because their mad king this drama will start all over again, only this time it was about to end in a tragedy. Because this war was not about who wins but about who is left.
Throughout the last week there was nothing but fear, sadness, hatred, lifelessness and panic. A lie that soon the people themselves will be attacked dominated the minds of the people. Not even their own emotions were able to take hold, so they were forced to be part of the system. Everybody understood what would happen if they refused to serve. Fate was very bad this time, nobody looked forward to the future with joy. A lot of people and soldiers realized that the king's statement was very strange and that there was probably a lie behind it, yet what if there wasn't? Exactly this thought left them no choice but to follow the order. They knew that they would probably lose their lives, however, the thought of fighting for the family and the kingdom distracted them from the thoughts of death. No one was under protection or given an excuse, every single man was taken. The time was coming when the Chosen ones would feel the deep hatred and sheer despair of an ex-loyal commander. Before long, they would be able to truly understand Leo.
"I just hope Grae and Freo arrive safely at the village."
"They will, Grae owes us after we went through all that trouble to get him out of prison. Plus, you can't do anything in your condition anyway so stop talking and get some rest. Otherwise, you can forget about your work tomorrow.
"Adrian, how do you know about the "homeland"?"
"I'm not deaf, where do you think i sent my injured sparing partners? Knowing you were the leader I decided to have them come to you for a rest. You're doing a good job, you were able to get them back into training the very next day."
"So you're the reason for all the injured soldiers. I was wondering why so many soldiers are still coming and especially so young even though there were no fights or battles. You should take better care of them and not torment them to death. Some boys would come to me 5 times a week looking like zombies.
" It is only when they have experienced such wounds and tortures themselves that they can face the next hurdle. Moreover, it has paid off, they will soon have to put their skills to the test. At that point, there's not much I can do for them."
Luke didn't know what to say. He realized that Adrian was very concerned about his students on the inside even though he remained the same on the outside. As he did so, the thought he had been suppressing since yesterday returned to his mind. Luke, too, knew what was coming soon. Thus, he had no time to lose now.
"Alright but please don't push them too hard, I'm going to be far busier now. Also, I'm sure they have families so give them a little more time off. They' ve earned it."
"Fine. I'll be off then, focus on what's ahead. No use getting lost in sentimentality now. Make that clear to yourself otherwise you won't be able to assist us in the battle."
With these words Adrian said goodbye and headed back to the palace. While walking through the streets, Luke thought about the future of the "homeland". But this day he could no longer think straight. Just as he was about to lose himself in fear, he heard a loud discussion coming from one of the houses.
"That is out of the question, no way! I will not hide from this responsibility. Stop suggesting such nonsense!"
"Do you really want to lose your life and leave your family alone? This isn't a game, I've seen it with my own eyes. I cannot let it end like this, I can prevent this from happening."
"Just listen to him father, I don't want to lose you, we don't want to lose you. Participating in the battle is madness, please trust in Blade."
"AND THEN WHAT? AM I SUPPOSED TO HIDE FOREVER UNTIL EVERYTHING CALMS DOWN? WHO KNOWS HOW THE BATTLE WILL TURN OUT? EITHER WAY I WON'T HAVE THE CHANCE TO SEE YOU, IF I WERE DISCOVERED YOU WOULD BE IN GRAVE DANGER AS WELL. MY FATHER SERVED THE SAME WAY, HE DIED WITH HONOR. IF THAT IS MY FATE, THEN SO BE IT. NO COMPLAINTS, MY DECISION IS FINAL....Sorry for that, but I will go this way. You' re blaming yourself, aren't you Blade? From the start, we knew you were never behind this plan. Never in a million years would my son-in-law be behind such an insane war."
" Exactly because of this madness, I need to do something, I must be able to change something. All I need is a little bit of ti-wait a minute, son-in-law?"
"Are you getting cold feet now? I promised you my daughter and you're still going on about these pointless thoughts. You better feel honored, you're the first one I've trusted and accepted like that. Karin has already asked for it several times.
I think you don't mind either, don't you honey? She's old enough, let's make her wish true. Now say something, don't leave me standing here all alone."
"It's true Blade, my husband has changed a lot since you got here. All of a sudden life came back into our household and I've never seen Karin so happy. So I also think it's best to leave her to you."
"I-I don't know what to say. This overwhelms me right now but I'm honored. Thank you so much."
"Oh, stop being such a baby, young man, and take care of my daughter. By the look on her face I can already tell what her response is."
"You're right Blade, this has been my wish for a very long time. I just didn't know how to tell you. You never said anything either, so I was afraid it would scare you away. The last years were the most beautiful of my life. Even if it's under such sad circumstances, I want nothing more than to become your wife."
"There you go. Before everyone starts crying, you better start thinking how you want it to go down. Look, I've got a friend who can make it official. As we don't have much time anyway I think tomorrow is a good time."
"Tomorrow?! But I don't even have any good clothes let alone a ring."
"What are you babbling about, we're not nobles. Just wearing normal clothes is perfectly fine as long as you're clear-headed. You can use my parents' rings, they're just lying around anyway. They should fit you both, and if not, my wife will simply make you pendants out of them. There' s no more discussion now, honey get our best wine and let's have a toas. Let's get rid of all the low spirits so stop with this sad mood."
Thus the marriage of these two was decided, there was no turning back now.
The next morning, when Luke woke up in his small room, he heard the voices of his young assistants, who had burst into an argument.
"You don't take the healing herb for this wound, check the book!"
"Of course it can be taken for that, besides, I'm not the only one who took it for that."
"Hey, why are you dragging me into this now? That was a while ago so I'm not one to blame."
"I don't care which one of you committed this mistake. You better make sure you pick up some new herbs or we won't have any left."
"We've already requested some but most of them are being used for the war, so there is barely any left for us."
"Great, you really couldn't have told me that earlier now could you? The whole plan is screwed now."
"HEY, shut up. Quit beating each other up over something like this. We always worked very well together, we're a team, did you forget that?"
"But how are we supposed to go on? We can't help anyone, not even ourselves if we're going to die soon...
"Pull yourselves together, have you all given up? JUST LOOK AT YOURSELVES, ACTING LIKE THIS IN FRONT OF OUR BOSS. SHOW RESPECT AND GET RID OF YOUR ANGER. ALL OF US KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN A WEEK, THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO MESS UP YOUR COWORKERS!
WE WILL NOT LOSE, LUKE IS FIGHTING ON YOUR SIDE, YOU KNOW WHAT HE IS CAPABLE OF SO AT LEAST TRUST HIM.
"It's fine Theas, I think they got it. I am not blaming you, there is no need for you to apologize. It is true that in a week the lives of many of you will be at stake, but I will do my best to prevent even one of you from dying. It is even more important that you do your absolute best and surpass yourselves. Elize, Sira, Amelie, Florin, Celine, and Lisa: I will instruct you personally for the next few days, it is important that we manage to keep this work going. I have a lot of confidence in your abilities, you are strong young women who are working here since a long time. Therefore, I ask you to dedicate as much time as you can to me. Yes, I know that you all have families and want to say goodbye, as soon as you are done, you will immediately come to me. I will teach you advanced methods and techniques as well as give you exams so that by the end of the week we can ensure the survival of the "homeland". Regardless of what happens, it has been an honor to work with you. Because of you I have found a piece of hope in myself, and I know that you will make me proud."
Right as the mood became sentimental, Marah interrupted.
"A queue is already starting to form outside, hopefully you are well prepared."
"We're always prepared, you really should know that. Now what exactly do you want here?"
"You know exactly what I want Theas. Why don't you show up at your mother's house? She is worried about you. Are you scared to say goodbye to her?"
"Don't bother, I will say goodbye eventually but right now I am very busy. Just tell her that I'll be back later. If you have nothing else to do Marah then just help the others with the groceries in town."
"What's up with you the last few days? You realize you can talk to me if you want to? I know it's hard for you to think of what's about to happen-"
"It's fine Marah, stop worrying and let me do my work."
Theas barely let himself be talked to. He followed Luke's instructions without words but his boss was worried about him. Not just because he has to go to war soon but also because Marah and he are good friends yet he is so cold to her. With no more work to do, Luke ordered Theas stay in the homeland for a while until he comes back."
"He's inside, hopefully you guys can talk in peace now. You know best how exactly he feels about it."
"If not I will force him to talk to me. I think I know what is going on inside him.So this might take a while."
"No problem, in that case I'll stay at the palace for today. In return, I do have an important request for you. For the next few days I will do most of the nursing since I have a different plan for the boys. Personally, I'm not very good at it, but maybe you can practice fighting with them a little bit. If it's easier for you I can also inform Adrian, just don't let him torture them. I don't really want to have to rely on him for this."
"Alright, I'll try to come up with a plan. I might need Adrian's help for that but I will do most of the training. Don't worry, they'll survive it, both the training and the fight."
Luke thanked her for the help and left her alone with Theas.
"What are you doing here? Where's Luke?"
"Luke left you to me. So out with it: what exactly is going on? You know I'm not leaving until you tell me everything."
"...Alright, alright, I'll talk. You're right, I'm afraid to face my mother. Back when my father passed away, she was devastated by grief. I couldn't do anything to cheer her up, I was just a stupid little kid who didn't understand the word grief yet. So I am afraid to look her in the eye and promise that I will come back even though i don't know what might happen. I simply don't want to disappoint her and sadden her."
"What you're saying is really contradicting itself. You don't want to disappoint her, yet she would be the most disappointed if her son stayed away from her. Although it's hard for you, confront this fear. Carry as many memories of her with you as you can. I made an agreement with Luke for you and the other boys to train with me starting tomorrow. This way you have a better chance of survival and you can protect yourselves. I will do everything in my power to make sure we survive."
"...Tell me the truth: Have they really declared war on us or...?
"...No, they haven't..."
"That's what I thought...But why are we fighting then?"
"Because of the decision of a delirious king who is driven by hatred yet is a coward himself."
"Then why do you simply follow his orders? You are strong enough to defeat him and stop all this."
" You know it's not that simple. If the King were to be assassinated we would be portrayed as criminals. The majority of the people, as well as the nobility, believe the king's words. So even if we claim that it was a lie, it wouldn't change anything. Most likely, there would be a revolution in the absence of a ruler, resulting in even more innocent victims. So we have no choice but to follow the order."
"It's really hopeless... What if we changed the minds of the forces outside the kingdom, there are so many common people who would oppose the war...no, that wouldn't work either."
"And even if it did, we don't know how strong the magicians and elite troops really are. Up until now, I've rarely seen them in action. Being something like the king's closest confidants, none of us know exactly how much power they have. Perhaps he sent most of them into battle alongside us. They might really be that powerful to help decide the war. Thus, a rebellion is out of the question.
"So it's really hopeless, no matter what I do, I will end up on the battlefield."
Marah tried to calm him down and the two spent some more time until Theas confronted his mother. These next few days became very hard for everyone, the sheer survival instinct pushed them beyond their limits. Moreover, the secret wedding of Karin and Blade was held, which gave the young man another very big motivation. Meanwhile, Blade himself took over the training from Karin's father, whom he surprised with his sword skills. Luke did his best to pass on his knowledge to his assistants and coworkers, pushing them to their limits. They had no choice, as Luke was very desperate, yet his concentration never wavered. In the meantime, Marah took over the training from the boys. She had Adrian give her a plan to improve their physical skills. Naturally she changed it a little bit so that a normal person could also complete the sessions. Afterwards she took over the weapon training together with Adrian where the different talents were put to the test. So everyone could be assigned his personal weapon.
Adrian's training squads were once again pushed to their limits however in the last 2 days he removed some sessions from the schedule. On the day before they were to leave, all the young soldiers came to him and presented him with an iron bracelet on which they each wrote their name. Listening to the occasion that they will probably die soon, Adrian got angry and threw the pendant to the ground and ordered them to leave. He remained standing for some time until he picked up the present, wiped off the dust and put it on. He had nothing against the gesture but how it was presented to him. Still, he was very honored and grateful for the gift. Never in his life did he empathize with a person like this.
Eventually the time had come, the day of departure was approaching. Everywhere one could hear sobbing and crying, self-talk and insanity. Defying the order of the magicians, the chosen ones went ahead instead of staying behind the army. The words of the king couldn't mean less to them. Seeing that Adrian carried their gift on his hand, the soldiers made a pleased face. Luke said goodbye to each of his female assistants. Marah then assured Theas once again that they would both return. This time the young man was able to prove his courage. So far, he had confessed his feelings to her many times, but that was all. Rather than speak those words again, he let actions speak. She was just about to finish her sentence when he suddenly gave her a kiss on the lips. She was frozen for a second while he quickly joined the army. Karin said goodbye to Blade, his wife was hoping with all her might that her two men would come. Now the time had come, the four sat on their horses and looked ahead.
"So this is it. There is no turning back now, I have faith in us so don't disappoint. Things are different this time, until now we have always fought to protect innocent people. Now it is these very people who have to fight with us. So please, please use your absolute best to make sure that as many as possible survive. Remember, our powers, it''s up to us to use them."
"Each of us has his or her reasons and each of us will survive. So far we always have, just now it will be more difficult, but trust in yourselves and each other. Just because we have big risks with us now doesn't mean we have gotten weaker."
"We must work in the team as much as we can. Every adjustment and every attack has to be perfect, never lose focus. You know what Grae taught us.
" Let's get him to show up first, without this man, all of this is just going to get harder. Not everyone is just a pawn so communicating is very important. We are all going to win, we have to win...death will have to wait for us a long time..."
"We've been on the road for a week now, can't we just get to a town and sleep in a decent normal bed?"
"With what money then smart guy? There aren't exactly bounty contracts, and nobles haven't come our way either."
"A master thief like me doesn't need to rely on such things. All you have to do is give me a chance."
"It's true that he's succeeded before, I'll give him that. Frankly, I'm not interested in spending the night around the campfire anymore, either."
"All right. You can try your luck in the next days but leave me out of it. In case you fail I have other methods to get money."
"That's not necessary, out of the question. I will take care this matter."
"So you still think this way. Have you turned a blind eye to this world? With all of our experiences, you should know that life and death are very close."
"Still, they don't always have to meet, I have a different idea that I'm going to carry out."
"At least you have the right attitude about the future. Hopefully you remain this focused."
When evening came, the three of them saw bright lights shining from far away. Aiden's face lit up with joy; he couldn't wait to finally sleep normally and take a shower. Upon arriving in town, he saw that the streets were pretty much empty.
"I'll go find my first target, go ahead to the tavern and book me a room and order a beer. I'll be right there."
"That much confidence can't be healthy."
"I'd call it overconfidenc, and that's even more dangerous. Well, he'll be all right somehow."
Inside the tavern, many soldiers and warriors from different peoples sat at the same table. It could only mean one thing to Leo: they had reached the border. He noticed that there were no ordinary citizens to be seen.
"Pretty weird here, don't you think?"
"So you also noticed it. There' s something big happening and I need to know exactly what it is."
All of a sudden the door of the tavern shot open, a young man with blond hair marched to the innkeeper with a prideful chest and ordered himself a beer. Then he joined his comrades, threw the bag full of money on the table and waited to be complimented.
"All right, great job Mr.Master Thief. So where exactly did you get the money?"
"From a drunken soldier who fell asleep on the side of the road. The bag was right next to him, so I didn't think twice.
"Wow, truly a master thief. Stealing from the drunk to become one himself."
"Everyone has their own ways."
"I'll take care of our accommodation, try not to fall off the table while I'm at it."
Leo left Lynia alone with Aiden and went to the host, who was a fox man.
"Hoho, I have never seen equipment like that, truly extraordinary this weapon. I suppose you too want one last drink before you go into war."
"What do you mean war?"
"Are you not human? You sure look like one. It seems the news has passed you by then: The Erezal have declared war on the humans, now they're marching out to take them by surprise first. Good luck to you, otherwise we are probably in for another war as well. Even though our new leader has just been appointed. Well, if they didn't nominate you, you're lucky indeed. It's best to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble. By tomorrow, most of the people here will be leaving, nobody wants to end up in the crossfire."
Leo sank into thought, completely confused and unable to find a reason for this war. Once he had booked the rooms he went back to Aiden and Lynia to explain the situation.
"This is pure madness to attack right now. Just what exactly is my father planning? To kill himself with this plot? Hang on, what exactly do you mean by appointed?"
" It seems that the decision was made by the king himself. Over the past few days, soldiers have been sought throughout the kingdom. Nearly every ordinary innocent man has been forced to join the plan. This scheme makes no sense, the Erezal would never attack at this time."
"How do you know?"
Leo became careless. He had not yet told Aiden that he had fought with them for a short time.
"Because they would have to go through the other territories and if their numbers are still that small it makes even less sense. So why are the humans really attacking?"
Leo couldn't figure it out until Aiden hesitantly came up with a theory.
"When I was a prince, we were always taught the history of the kingdom. We were forced to memorize the whole history. During the previous war against the Erezal from hundreds of years ago, it is said that our king succumbed to his battle wounds. His son developed an endless hatred for this people and was always on the lookout for survivors. Once survivors of the Erezal were found, they were tortured in a horrible way. The new king enjoyed watching the slow death of his enemies. Thereupon he changed not only the kingdom but also himself. He was the first to introduce an absolute separation between nobility and common people. Only " strong " or " powerful " people were of interest to him.
This tradition, as well as the deep hatred, still exists today. While father saw it as a source of power, my mother always said that hatred becomes uncontrollable very quickly. Therefore I should never give in to it, to this day I have honored this teaching. Since the beginning father had no interest in me, I was too weak and soft for him. This deep hatred has not only been preserved but also strengthened over the centuries.
He no longer thinks rationally; in his state, he is unfit to reign. I have the strong feeling he wants to end our bloodline with himself. The last generation, now controlled by madness, wants to surprise his enemies. You've been in the city long enough, he's barely left the palace and has always surrounded himself with the most powerful figures right? So it's really gotten worse. That curse needs to be stopped now before everything really ends in tragedy because of him.
"So if I understand correctly, the soldiers dragged the common people into the war to have a better chance? The only thing I can think of is that they have a superior number, however, with their qualities it doesn't really matter. I thought the elves were stupid with their forces, but the humans are stepping it up a notch."
Lynia and Aiden were discussing back and forth while Leo was still lost in thought. All of a sudden he heard the voice in his head.
("Your little comrade is right. Hate is indeed a curse if you use it poorly. Humans learned nothing from the past, so now they are repeating their foolish actions again. You and I both know that my people won't take any steps towards war unless there is a reason to do so. It is true that your king plays with open cards, though they will get quite bloody. Now, what are you going to do, my apprentice? Has your plan just crumbled into a thousand pieces? Do you still cling to your naivete and delusions? Or are you going to take the chance to end it sooner and save yourself the troubles and worries? Whatever you decide, I will support you until you reach the destination. Let me warn you one last time: you can't succeed, you are going to see what the actual purpose is, what the common aim is. These are my last words to you, now follow your path until you will call my name.")
"HELLO LEO?! You haven't even had a beer, but you seem more absent than I do. Let me make one thing clear to you now: If it really turns into a battle, I WILL interfere. I won't follow the same path as my father. Either you help me or let me die. What's your decision?"
"Infiltrating the city would be easier but his identity is more important. I guess we don't have a choice, what exactly do you have in mind?"
Leo already knew Aiden would give him that answer. It was a risky and dangerous decision on his part, but one worthy of a king. There was no choice but to help him, besides, he was not alone in this.
" Okay, we'll assist them, but we'll do it my way."
"You don't want to kill everyone who crosses your path, do you?"
"I'm afraid the army will do that themselves. The Erezal haven't had much time to settle in which means they don't have many troops spread out in the few villages and towns. Not everyone is trained as warriors, there are common people like in any nation. I am afraid that they will be the real victims. They won't advance to the main forces, they just want to fight scummy by killing the innocent and then retreat. Just like before, the army is hoping for a provocation to which they can respond with their alliance pact. However, this time it will turn out differently.
The more Leo thought, the clearer his new plan became, a simple one, but he disliked what exactly he had to do.
"We will not fight with the humans, we will help defend the Erezal villages. The humans as well as the Chosen are forced to kill the simple innocent people of another race because of a lie in order to survive. This is the beginning of our plan.
I don't intend to take more victims, but rather to free the captives. In the past, as a commander, I was never able to use it, but this situation is screaming for it, for my way. Let me show you what psychological warfare is all about. This is not about weapons or positions but only about the minds of those involved. By doing so, we are planting a fear in their heads that will let me control them.
"What kind of magic is this, it sounds horrible."
"Don't talk in riddles Leo, what exactly are you planning?"
" It's pretty simple, we're going to start a revolution in a war. And I know exactly who will assist me in doing so."