Our timetable wasn't as strickt as before. The whole camp looked up at us, we could train alone and sleep till the sun's up high. Even the higher ranked soldiers saluted to us when we walked past them, and we could hear the drunk men happily talking about how we're their saviors on saturday nights.
The days and weeks flew by, the Field Marshal and the General asked us to help with the attack plan and we had to tell speaches to all of the platoons. At the end of a day, we jumped into our not even a bit comfortable beds like they were sent from heaven, and Benedict lighted a cigarett every night. I slowly started to get used to things but then one day...
- Is that true that you could only save one of your men? - a Corporal asked.
We were having our dinner and drank bad beer. It tasted awful, but at least it helped us in having a bit of fun. I stopped, then swalowed the liquid from my mouth. I knew I couldn't get away from this question, he will ask again if I don't answer now. I slowly put down my glass.
- We could say that..- I answered. "That's it, I gave him an answer." I thought and raised my glass again.
- And who was it?
I wanted to disappear. Ask anything, but this! I've been able to cure myself halfly, I never made myself remember that man, the only survivor, but this motherf*cker!
- Why do you ask?
The General's voice was deep and hars, his face was covered with dirt and little scratches. The dinning room silenced. Everybody could sense his bad aura.
"Even though he's a human, he's quite scary.."
The Corporal stood up and saluted.
- Excuse me General, it's just my curiosity, I wasn't planning on violating Colonel Sophia. A-And I think we all wanna know the name of The Survival. - he said, and looked around. Everybody muttered and nodded, my anxiety rised, and I knew I'll break soon.
The General is a smart man, so even though he was aware of the fact I didn't want to talk, he also knew that his position and aithority would be in danger if he would not give an answer, almost everybody from the camp was there, and looked at him.
- I guess then a name should not be a problam, right, Colonel?
I was shaking, but took a deep breath.
- No..
- Then if I may, what was the name of the soldier you saved?
Another deep breath. My blood ran through my veins faster than ever, my heart almost jumped out of my chest. Then I dien'r have more time to wait:
- Benedict Crown. - The name echoed in the premise, and the silence became touchable.
- Lieutenant Colonel...?
- Is it him?
- Lieutenant Colonel Benedict..?
I could hear the disbeliefe in their voice. Even the General looked confused.
- Yes, the only man who I was able to save from my platoon was Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Crown.
I was angry. Angry at myself for letting so many people to die,angry at the General for forcing me to answer a question I never wanted to and angry for Benedict...for just looking at me from the door the whole time.
I stood up and tried to live.
- Colonel--! - Benedict tried to stop me but pushed him away with a spell. He hit the wall and fell down, blood flow down his forehead. I gasphed, I never ment to hurt him like this. I waited him to raise his head. He wasn't mad, no anger showed on his face, only pain. Some of the soldiers jumped up from their seats and started running towards him, but Benedict stopped them with his hand.
- Lieutenant Colonel?... - the General looked afraid, the cut wouldn't stop bleeding. Benedict raised and swiped off the blood from his forehead. There was no cut anymore, it healed instantly.
The silence in the room was dark, scared. They knew we use high and powerful magic, but never imagined this big. Magic is used since houndreds of years in this world, but it always costed something, usually the life of a flower, a tree, little animals, and sometimes even human lifes. Even a simple fire spell costed a rose's life.
But now, here we are, using magic like a student uses a pen, we didn't need any secrefise. It tires us out, in the worst case we passes out, but usually we only got a nosebleed. But magic is sexist, I couldn't use high magic for too long, or else my lungs got scratches and I started to cough up blood. Not like Benedict, this only happened with him once, but he's "half-an-hour" stronger than me.
When the Lieutenant Colonel got up and looked at me no one moved.
- I'm sorry.
- For what? Living? Don't be.
I was harsh, I knew, but I wanted to get out from there. He silenced, and looked down. I felt tears falling down on my cheeks while turning and walking out. I ran to my tent like I was being chased. The few men who weren't in the dining room looked at me confused when I stormed through them, but didn't really care. Everybody breaks down from time to time while in a war, it wasn't unusual.
When I made it in front of my tent,I stopped. My hands were shaking, the blood in my veins started becoming purple and my mind slowly started to go blank. My anxiety rised and became panic, my breathing was slow and heavy.
" I can't breath.."
I wanted to get relived, no matter what. I cried and screamed in front of that shitty, dirty green tent. I fell on my knees. My head was spinning, voices from the past screamed inside me ans they didn't stop.
- STOP! STOP! STOP!!!
I grabbed my knife from my pocket without thinking and only stopped when I placed it on my arm. My shaking hand couldn't hold it properly and I dropped it. I covered my eyes and cried. I couldn't hear the step that got closer and closer. When I felt a hand on my shoulder I just cried even more.
- Did you really wanted to do it this time?
The General stood behind me. He was tired and maybe a bit angry. Not to me,but to himself. I took a deep breath then pulled me up from the ground.
- I'll show you something, come. - he said and took my hand. While walking I slowly stopped crying. We went outside of the campand walked for quite a while. Then he stopped and I looked around.
We were in a field. No trees, and even the grass was sick. It looked like it's dyeing.
- Let it out.
I looked at the General confused.
- Let your rage out. - he said and smiled. My feeling were surely written on my face, I felt unprepared, and even tough he knew it, he still smiled.
I got down to my knees and held a dieing flower to my hands then closed my eyes. Purple, light blue and white lights started to form around me, then they flew into my hands and then to the flower. It raised it's head, gained back it's colours and stood up straight. I opened my eyes and gave a little smile to the flower. The General watched me with sparkels in his eyes.
I knew I could do even more. My hands and body started to heat up, my hair changed it's brown colour to a dark blue. The flames that came out from my hands were blue and red. They bypassed the General and me, but burned down every inch of the sick vegetation. It hapoened just in 3 seconds, then I closed my fingers and the fire stopped.
I looked around to see smoke and ash everywhere, then I put my hands to the hot ground. I took a deep breath and green lights started to form around me. They spread around the whole field while the General spin around.
The green light went into the ground and disappeared, but I didn't take away my hands. Just a second after this, overwhelming lights left the ground, and when we opened our eyes, the field was healed, and looked better than ever. An owl flew through the sky over our heads. I felt peace while sitting in the middle of the field in the dark, only the moon lit up the space and our faces.
While heading back to the camp, the General started talking about how amazing I did on the field, then he stopped when he saw my tent and the Lieutenant Colonel in front of it. Benedict stared at us, I could see the panic in his eyes.
He ran over and grabbed my arms.
- I was fucking worried!! Where were you Colonel?! - he screamed. I looked him in the eyes calmly. He was upset for a reason. I smiled.
- I still have a higher rank than you.
- I made a mistake.
- Hell yeah you did.
- I'm sorry.
- It's fine, just don't mention it anymore.
Benedict laughed and let go of me. The General looked at us smiling.
- Shiiit..I had to walk so much today, just for you two to make up this easy...-he grinned, bowed his head a bit, then turned and walked away.