A year and 3 months into the war, the whole Bloodheath clan was Invited to Patricia's Bloodhearth's wedding. 10 months after her husband's death she remarried to the King of the Highland Kingdom. Jonathan D. Porter.
From the battlefield Theodore and his most trusted army of now 124 people, go to attend his mother's wedding. Hunter got the news, but didn't want to go because she betrayed her clan; he now believes that what his nephew said might be true.
Theodore and his army arrived. Theodore moves forward to talk with some guests from other clans and lordships. To get more information about the war, and the king. He finds a drunk member of the Lilithians. "Good day Maximilian Lilithian!" The man hiccups "G~God dAY to YoU to!" "Do you know why the king married my mother? Because she is a former widow, her husband died not too long ago…"
"Probably true love, after all she WAS a peasant and kings don't make wives out of passants. And I'm old, I've seen them before your father even fell in love with her son. I am so sorry for your arm and your father." Theodore bows and nods with respect. "Thank you for your sympathy"
Theodore moves away but the man calls out to him "KID!" he shouts and everyone looks at the two. "How old are you?" Theodore looks around and says "Now I am 15. When the war started I was 14." The man laughs and drinks a whole glass of wine. "The KING is LUCKY! LUCKY! I say. The best Commander is no more than 15. No battles LOST!" The man laughed while people looked in surprise and disbelief. "Don't brag for me sir!"
Theodore retires himself in a spot where people can't look at him. He looks at Rinehart. "I am ashamed of my mothers actions, friend." Theodore whispers. A woman with a red dress came to him, she didn't look like any other Lady, or member of a clan.
"Lord Bloodharth?" Theodore nods, with no facial expression. "I am Melisa Bruns!" She puts an envelope to the table. "I think my lord and you see eye to eye." She then leaves in the crowd where you can't see her.
He looks at the envelope. "Might be poison…" Theodore said. "Already scanned it with my eye device there is nothing that can cause you harm my friend." Theodore opens the envelope and there is a small card. It is written on it:
'The rebellion needs you' "So the rumors are true." Theodore said, handing the card to Rinehart. "Ghost never sends in bad info." "Don't drink anything, or eat. They are here to make a scene." Theodore gets up and heads out to his troops where he tells them the same thing "Don't drink or eat anything here."
They get back into the venue to see what is gonna happen. Maximilian Lilithian, approached his daughter and hugged her. He went back to the dance floor and danced a traditional wedding dance.
Slowly after blood started coming from his eyes, mouth and nose. "My death came today!" were his last words before collapsing. Theodore left the venue and headed out of the capital with his army.
"It has been 6 hours and you still haven't told me where the poison was." The army was set up in a field and everyone tried to guess what was poisoned. Rinehart was the one with the most consistent answers, but all wrong.
"So it wasn't the wine, it wasn't the food, what is it?" Theodore chuckled. "The one that gave us the envelope was a god given servant. She was the poison. Servants don't feel pain or get sick, they look human, but they are not totally human. Her lord poisoned her and she deliberately spread it among everyone in the party."
Rinehart was surprised by the answer. "God damn, those guys are useful. Also why don't you have one?" Theodore looked directly into his eyes and said. "Because I didn't impress any God yet.
In the present day Theodore arrives at Castle Black. He knocks at the door and they open. The whole army of now 200 men and women enter. They arrive in a huge yard, lots of guards pointing their weapons at the army.
Cannons ready to annihilate them. "The day of me asking your uncle has come!" Hunter comes out of his castle alongside his daughter. She looked older. "Uncle! Dear cousin! Forgive my unpleasantries , and excuse me for entering with my war party…"
"STAND DOWN!" Hunter shouts. "He is FAMILY!" Theodore runs towards Hunter crying. He is now in a safe place, he smiles and his running is consistent. One of the men on the walls makes fun of him for being handicapped. He hugs his uncle. "Finally! Someone from my family that doesn't want me dead, or is dead!" Milena comes to hug him too. "It must've been hard.
You are so young, cousin." Theodore laughs. "At Least I didn't change much!" He brakes from the hug and looks at his cousin. "Look at you, a mature woman now, 18 years old! You don't look too bad." Hunter makes Theodore look at him by pulling him with both of his hands.
"So why did you come?" Theodore looks at his army. "I want to know how to find a God Stone." Hunter looks puzzled. "Why do you want to find that?" Hunter looks into the teenager's eyes. "I'll give you a map."
Hunter gets inside. Milena grabs Theodore's hand and walks with him inside the castle. Rinehart and Ghost exit their mechs and run to catch up with them. Inside was a large room with columns, tables and chairs and at the end of it 4 thrones. Theodore's memory flashes into the past and remembers his aunt being pregnant. "The war did the worst to all of us…" Theodore said. From behind his comrades are yelling "Wait up!" Theodore and Milena turn to see them running.
"These are my trusted men Rinehart Roland and Lancer Fritz, Lancer preferes the name Ghost, I won't get into details why. That's why he also covers his face." The duo finally reaches them. They bow respectfully "Sorry for making us wait Lady Milena!" Ghost said.
She looks at him and makes him stand upright. "Take your mask off mister Ghost."
Ghost looks at his commandaer, Theodore nods his head. Ghost slowly takes his mask off, his face was filled with war injuries from his former battalion, scars on his forehead down to his neck, his nose has seen better days and his lips look like he has been in more than one war, but this one was his first.. His eyes are dark brown and you can see the sadness in his eyes, but his mouth is still smiling.
"Excuse me for my looks, my Lady!" He looks at the ground in shame. Milena gives him a kiss on the left cheek. "You have nothing to apologize for, and this is all I can give for taking care of my cousin. You are a brave man, Lancer." Ghost's face turned red, 'she kissed me' he said in his head. "Thank you for your warm words lady Milena" Theodore chuckled, his face smiling with his head somewhat tilted to the left looking for something.
Rinehart was sitting on a chair, looking at the three. "What will happen with your troops sire?" Theodore looks at him and raises an eyebrow "Sire?" He said a bit shocked as no one in his war party called him anything else but commander. "Well I will continue my plan to avenge my clan. You guys are not forced to aid me after, you can live and do whatever you want." Theodore moves towards Rinehart.
"I guess you have a family to live for, not like me" He gave a small laugh "Listen Theodore, when you hired me, I thought I was gonna die, but your salary was better than what I've had as a mech mechanic. You made my child go to a prestigious school and have a good life without me asking. You are not only my lord, you are like a brother to me. Ghost here will say the same thing." Rinehart looks at Ghost.
"He was in the mech assassins division, it was all wiped out but him. You of all lords and generals went in the field to save them all, but Ghost was the only one alive and badly hurt. YOU saved his life. How can you say "YOU GUYS ARE NOT FORCED TO AID ME AFTER' we don't need to be forced we are your brothers in arms, you are our leader, our lord. When I said I'll never leave your side I meant it!"
Theodore stops, a tear moved from his eye down his face but he wipes it off quickly. "Why so emotional man?" He said to Rinehart. "I just asked what are we gonna do after peace, that's all" He looks at the door to the library.
"Common uncle, I know you're in your 50s but still!"
Ghost and Milena didn't notice that interaction as they were talking about themselves, and how the war changed their life. "Guess Ghost got a crush" Theodore whispered. "Wait till he gets married and has kids, I know what that's like." Rinehart whispered back.
Hunter comes back with a tablet. "Here is the God Stone locator." Theodore grabs it and opens the screen. It shows the whole planet. "Whole TERIS on one map, damn." He selects their continent and one god stone was in a place very familiar to him.
"Alright! BOYS WE KNOW WHERE TO GO!" Theodore shouted, Ghost breaks the conversation with Milena and rushes to his Commander. "I know where this is." He notices a lot of people there, Libertans. "Here is where our prisoners will prove their worth."