"What are you talking about? Are you really talking about a normal revolution, without any magic? That's insane, if you fail you'll have more blood on you."
"That doesn't matter, I've been drenched in blood for a long time. Besides, there will be plenty of victims even without my interference. Assuming the information is correct they marched out yesterday so they are a day ahead of us. They are probably already in the midst of killing other innocent people. Even if they win, most of them will be the ones to lose. Right at this moment we will strike, once they linger on the edge of insanity is the best condition. All you have to do is listen to me, I won't force you to kill anyone, just trust me on everything else. In the process, you can learn something Aiden, something that can save lives in the future."
Aiden grew hesitant, seeing in Leo's face both determination and will but also excitement for what was to come.
"I'll keep following you as long as I believe you're in your right mind. In case I don't approve of your method I will follow my own path. Lynia, you will support me, won't you?"
"You're getting your hopes up Aiden. I am here on my own free will, humans mean nothing to me. So many innocent dark elves have died for our freedom, I'm not going to worry about such things again. Whenever my life is at stake, be it a simple merchant or a soldier, I will take action. In war morals do not matter. The best thing you can do is wake up from your peaceful dream world and take a good look at what's really happening."
"You are narrow-minded, marked by this world and have given yourselves to it. Though I may not be the most experienced, may be a joking idiot however I decide my own path, not that which this world dictates. I don't need you to trust me a hundred percent, just don't ignore my methods and manners."
Leo felt impressed that Aiden was capable of such a statement. None of it was reprehensible, he had his wits and balanced his emotions perfectly.
"Okay, I'll be watching you more closely from now on, what things you do, what plans you have, and how you execute them. Should it work out I will acknowledge that it is possible for me to act in a different way. However, until then I am the leader. Now save your drinking and get some rest, starting tomorrow morning we will head to the battlefield if you can call it one. You don't even need to join us without sleep, I will think about how exactly we're going to proceed."
Both Aiden and Lynia had their own rooms, while Leo had saved some of the gold by not booking a room for himself. Initially they were going to ask him about this but then they remembered that Leo didn't need much sleep. It was not only sleep, but also eating and drinking that he was not in need of. For some time Aiden thought a lot about who and what exactly Leo was. They were allies, yet could he really call him a friend?
1st day of departure - Evening
"Listen carefully, we are going to stay here for the night. Our new soldiers will take care of setting up the camp tents. Once they are done with that, you will supply the individual groups.
I guess there are no objections, are there? In case there are, feel free to talk to me personally. Now get to work. And always remember, you're doing it all on behalf of the kingdom."
Meanwhile, Adrian, Blade, Luke and Marah couldn't bear to hear those words. Things were no different than they were in the city. The high-ranking soldiers and magicians were the same as the nobility, the common people had to fulfill all their requests in order to avoid punishment. The Chosen disgusted this tradition, they themselves saw and witnessed it during the last years, that is why they wanted to change this. Although it was not possible in the city, at least they wanted to take a little work off the shoulders of the poor people in this situation. Thus, for the most part they took care of the tasks and provided food for the people. Naturally, the wizards disliked this and summoned the four of them to their tent.
"What are you doing? Do you intend to show your weak side? Stop being so stupid and getting on the same level with them, because you know you're stronger than any of them."
"Even so, we won't allow ourselves to be completely cut off from them. They were forced into this, so assisting them is the least we can and should do."
The archmages and commanders became furious at these words. They considered this attitude an act of weakness and foolishness. Before leaving, there was already a tension between these two sides, however, the four of them were inferior to the elite in terms of authority. Following this discussion, they left the tent, finished the rest of their work, and met together aside from the army and the tents.
"I can't stand those bastards, they' re the reason why the city has become like this. The least they deserve is death."
"Don't get stupid ideas, if we backstab them now we'll have huge trouble. First of all, we don't know how strong they are precisely, plus we'd be putting everyone in danger by doing so."
"They put everyone in danger with this move to send them to the grave. Still, Marah is right, even if they are enemies for us we officially have other foes. Protecting the people is the top priority."
"That's not quite correct Luke. Do you forget what Grae taught us at the beginning? One can only protect others as far as one can protect oneself. None of us is taking any chances so you better work together. Each of us has his or her own reason, yet if you give in to your emotions, you are nothing more than a ticking time bomb. Stay clear-headed, fight together, and hope for the best."
"I couldn't have said it better myself."
From the darkness came this voice, which was very familiar to them.
"So you managed to join us, it's about time Grae."
"Was I supposed to join you guys in the middle of the day and introduce myself to the whole class? Now was the best time to join you guys. So, what exactly did you guys just talk about? We have some catching up to do. So I' ll just go ahead and start."
Throughout the evening, they talked about what had happened during the week, what exactly they thought about the war, and how they planned to proceed.
"Basically, you guys have found your path. Adrian's words are most important right now: under absolutely no circumstances lose yourselves, you heard the druidess what will happen to your power then. Cruel things will most likely happen, things that you have never experienced before. Even if you have to watch innocent people die, keep your anger under control. I too have had such scenarios in my career as a commander and almost gone berserk one time. But that' s when you neglect the people next to you and lose control of your mind. Trust me, I can help you prevent that from happening."
"You again with your smart words. Don't think you can get everyone to go along with that."
"As long as it's sufficient for you, I don't need much more. It seems you've captured your favorite person, though. Apparently you haven't noticed yet, you shouldn't have taken off your armor if you wanted to keep it a secret."
The others glanced at Grae's hand and noticed the ring wrapped around his finger.
"Of all people, the biggest show-off is the first to get married, I never thought that would happen. Congratulations!"
"Actually that's extremely stupid considering who you are exactly and what you do."
"Adrian! Just congratulate and shut up!"
"It's been almost three years hasn't it? After being together for such a long time, I can well imagine you two getting married. So when did you propose to her?"
Blade looked nervous when he heard Marah's question.
"You proposed to her, didn't you?"
"Well, it's a little complicated. You guys wouldn't understand."
After pestering him for an answer, he told them everything.
"Hahaha, she was going to propose to you but you idiot didn't even realize it hahaha. Then her father of all people tells you, oh man, typical Blade."
"That was really stupid of you, you airhead. You couldn't have gotten it married sooner than a week before this? I mean, you really are just full of air."
"Hey stop it now, all that matters is that it worked out. You guys agree with me, don't you?"
However, Blade saw no agreement from Marah and Luke. Both of them just slapped their hand on their forehead and sighed.
"Actually, you're correct, but the nature of you just makes it funnier. You're married and that's the end of it. Come on, let's change the subject before he passes out from embarrassment."
On this evening they felt a very strong feeling of unity like never before. Quickly this fizzled out again and the fear and pressure took over their thoughts again.
By the next morning, the mages and elite troops noticed that Jures Grae had joined the army. Rather than kill him they allowed him to stay since he was beneficial to their plan. Once everyone was ready they continued, until they had arrived at the border of the Beast Kingdom. Usually the borders of the other races are guarded by sentries and soldiers, however, everyone was aware of what was about to happen and withdrew. Grae joined the others on the front lines, the five rode a little further ahead to discuss their battle plan.
"The best thing we can do is split the battlefield into zones, which we will quickly assign. In case too many soldiers appear in one area we can swap, aid or rotate. As long as we keep as few of our people fighting as possible."
"As strong as they have been they are unpredictable, pay close attention and don't get lured in."
Listening in on the conversations, Grae noticed that they didn't realize the real plot. He commanded them to ride with in front a bit further to clarify everything for them.
"By the way you are sounding, it seems to me that you have the wrong idea. No one told you about what is really going to happen. Who could have other than me. Actually, before I started training in the cave, the Druidess told me something very important. I didn't want to keep it a secret, it's quite late, but it's very important for you to listen to me carefully and stay calm. The humans already fought such a battle against the Erezal many centuries ago. Back then it wasn't the Erezal who started the war, but the humans. The same battle plan is used today as it was then. We' re not going into a real war, we' re going into a mass slaughter. Everything the mages said is a lie, as it was back then. They won't attack and there' s a good reason for that. From the beginning there has been no danger coming from them. The were provoked to the brink of madness till they finally started attacking the humans. All the other nations had an alliance pact so they joined forces to defeat what wer actually just innocent people."
"What exactly does provoke mean now, aren't we going to war or not?"
"No, that has never really been the plan. The king uses the same method of provoking as back then. That's why I told you to stay calm as innocent people die. I didn't mean our people but the people of Erezal. Not all of them have been trained as soldiers, they have common people who are used as bait by us. We won't encounter troops of soldiers but mostly simple men, women and children just like in our kingdom. In these moments I hate to be a part of the army. Unfortunately, innocent people of two nations are forced to kill each other in order to survive. The only thing we can do is to ensure the lives of our people by any means possible. They will fight back with the few resources and fighters they have, but in the end it's gonna be futile. Our task is to eliminate the enemies. If we don't do, the elite will since they have the same thoughts as the king."
The chosen ones were absolutely shocked by this news. What should they do now? How should they proceed?
Grae understood their initial reaction, however, they couldn't just give up now.
"This is pure madness, this is inhumane. Just how can something like this be happening?"
"You want their blood on my fingers? I will not have it!"
"What exactly are we fighting for? Have we really just become puppets of the king?"
"This is just horrible, the people will never recover from such an experience. I don't know what to say to the people in the city. I can't just carry such a lie inside me."
"No, I won't go along with that. If you guys have even a little bit of common sense you know what to do now. We have to stop this at all costs. Together we can defeat the king's troops. Grae already knew what kind of idea they would had in mind. Together we can defeat the king's troops.
Grae also knew what kind of idea they have in mind. And this very idea could bring about their downfall.
"Don't even think about it, things won't work out the way you want them to. You may have the power of the goddess, but who says they don't? Should this plan fail, all of us here are doomed. Not only will death await us, but also the common people will have to lead the way. Everyone who refuses or flees will be killed, the mages will show no mercy. I never saw them in action, the only person who has experienced this power of theirs is Leo and he is no help to us. There is one thing that no one has told you. Even I found out about it rather late. They are the very archmages who created and restored the ritual for you. They are responsible for your existence in this world. You can imagine what that might mean."
All four were puzzled by Grae's words. If they really are responsible for this ritual, then they might even be beyond them. An ambush was now out of the question.
"Damn...DAMN...what the fuck? Is there nothing we can do, do we have no choices at all?"
"....No...we are going to have to kill innocent people real soon, it' best you try to make peace with yourselves until then. Do not reveal it to the people, If they start a revolt they will all be dead before long."
They arrived at the border around noon and from far away they spotted some houses. The archmages and generals once again made it clear to the people that each and every one of them was an enemy who would soon kill all of them themselves. No mercy should be shown to them. Once the order was given, everyone marched towards the village. First and foremost, the Chosen, who once again refused to accept the mages plan. Inside they were completely in despair, nevertheless, they had set themselves a purpose: To shoulder most of the burden upon themselves. There was no way they were going to see the young men kill women and children. That' s why they all advanced to fulfill this duty. As they approached, they saw a young woman with gray skin holding a baby in her arms. Seeing this, the chosen ones shook all over their bodies and were unable to speak a word. Upon seeing them, the woman screamed and ran into the village.
What happened next became a tragedy of despair, madness, broken spirit and sheer emotional bereavement. Their memories of their lovers, their friends, their comrades and assistants forced them to carry out those cruel acts. The Erezal desperately tried to defend themselves, with pitchforks, knives and sickles, however, their fate took a deadly turn that day. They harmed no soul yet got killed out of useless hatred. Luke almost broke inside, yet he had no choice. All of them saw their fellow men behind them and blanked out everything that lay ahead of them. Each and every villager was slaughtered, no one was spared, not even the children. Their heads were cut off, their hearts pierced, their chests slashed or beaten to death. If it wasn't done by the army of common people, then the mages themselves killed the rest, burned them alive, cut off their limbs with wind magic while leaving the rest to the generals. They were skilled in using almost any weapon. They pierced the heads of men and women with arrows and bolts from a distance. They marched through the masses without hesitation or mercy, killing everyone who remained. The king's hatred took over their minds so they gave themselves to it. Anyone who refused to go on and begged was killed. Theas was shaking all over but knew inside that he had no choice but to go move on.
Blade saw Karin's father struggling, saw him go down on his knees, refusing to believe any of this. Blade looked at himself, his armor was stained with blood and his face was covered with splashes. In that moment, he actually gave in to his rage and went after the archmages. Suddenly he was stopped by Grae, who pushed him to the side.
"DON'T DO THIS! HE WILL SURELY DIE! WE MUST HOLD ON TILL IT'S OVER! DON'T LET YOUR LIFE HERE OR YOUR WIFE ALONE! PLEASE BLADE. PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER. YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE, DON'T GET LOST IN THESE THOUGHTS. YOU MUST SURVIVE!"
After that, Blade sank to the floor, tears rolling down his face. The " strongest " on the outside could hardly withstand all of this. But he wasn't the only one, Luke was looking down at his blood stained hands and at the corpses. Next moment he threw up and was about to pass out. Marah checked on the survivors, but she too was shattered inside. Each survivor avoided her or screamed and ran away from her, her whole armor was covered in the blood of the victims. The face of Adrian was more furious than ever, something very important was crumbling inside him. Quickly he walked to his young soldiers to calm them down and check. The Chosen had managed to achieve their goal. Only 15 people were killed on the human side. The mages ordered them to clean up the village and dispose of the bodies. As the men carried the bodies, a lot of them threw up since they had never seen a corpse before. The dead were piled up and burned with fire magic. Then they spent the night in the village, it was terrifying how little human was left in the mages and Elite. That night they didn't bother to gather for a conversation. Either they remained alone or asked about their folk friends. But even Theas could hardly speak a word while Karin's father prayed for his daughter and wife as well as meeting with Blade. The tragedy continued the next morning. No longer were there 15 but 32 dead in the army. Several could not bear it and killed themselves in order to avoid further torture. Others were about to escape and then killed by magic or arrows.
" Yesterday was a successful day, so today we will march further north, where there should be more enemies. A few of you have lost sight of each other. You must always remember: If we hadn't killed them now, they would have killed you and your family later. What you are doing here is the absolute right thing. Prepare yourselves, we will leave soon."
Unfortunately, this lied speech was able to change some people's minds again and release them from their guilt. This was for the kingdom, for their families and for an illusion that deprived them of their own. Thus, they continued marching across a vast countryside until they could spotted a city in the distance. It was surrounded by walls but there were no guards or soldiers to be seen.
"Get ready to attack. The moment you hear the signal, immediately charge the town. Leave no one alive if you want to keep your own lives."
The mages focused and created a huge fireball. Immediately, they shot it directly at the city gate. The orange-red missile was about to hit when it suddenly turned black and evaporated. They all wondered what happened just then. All of a sudden they spotted an owl hovering above them, hooting out loud. Suddenly, an arrow shot through the head of one of the mages, killing him instantly. The projectile was fused with magic, which made it faster and more resistant. Then two figures appeared on the walls. One of them wore black armor and carried a long weapon, the other carried a big longbow. Though it was hard to see what exactly was standing up there, five people all knew exactly who was facing them. Before long, this foe was to become their last hope.