''Uncle !'' Ethan called out, urgency in his voice.
Ethan was about to call out once more when he felt the wind brush past him, and he found Asher standing in front of him. 'How is he so fast? 'He questioned internally, 'No, now's not the time.'
He shook his head before speaking to his uncle: "I need you to disguise yourself as a normal soldier, lose your traditional general armor, and steal from the soldier armory. You will infiltrate the soldiers' fighting, and when the time's right, I want you to kill the three enemy generals as fast as possible. Will you take on this task?"
Ethan realized this. His uncle was the general of his army and well known, so it may be a little degrading to his honor and pride as a general. Once he hides himself in between the soldiers, there will be ample opportunity to kill the snake's head.
He had thought of this method when he thought of using the fire. How would he be able to deal with the warriors capable of not being harmed by the fire? That is how he thought of this method.
"Aye, your majesty. I will do as you command," the old man spoke with a soft rumble, giving a curt bow before standing straight. Seemingly like a mountain, unmovable.
'Was he always this… stoic?' Ethan thought; the man reminded him of his favorite animated movie, How to Train Your Dragon, in which he compared this uncle of his to the village chiefs, Stoic.
"If I can get close without them noticing, I am 100% confident in killing two of those generals in one strike, but I am afraid the stage 3 warrior will be trickier to deal with," Asher spoke with careful consideration in his tone as he processed the plan, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as well.
"If you can kill the 2 generals, Commanders Magnus and Rowan can deal with him together. All I want you to do is stall Orion then till we can finish off the army."
"As you command," the old man answered without any hesitation whatsoever.
***
< Blackthorn Kingdom camp>
On the horizon, the Kingdom of Blackthorn set up camp. The trainees were relaxed as they awaited their orders. The air was thick with anticipation, as they knew the time for action was drawing near, and the enemy was weak.
The soldiers scoffed at the idea of facing such a weak and young king.
It was a well-known fact in their camp that the previous king, their strongest warrior, was killed, and the crown fell onto a young king who wasn't even at the mid-stage of Trainee.
They believed victory was assured, and their confidence overshadowed any sense of caution or concern.
Meanwhile, in the main tent, the three generals and the King, Orion, gathered to discuss their strategy for breaching the castle walls. Huddled around a large map spread across the table, the generals shared their insights and opinions.
The 3rd stage warrior laughed out loud when a scout came back to report his mission findings.
"Hahaha" The man laughed in a rough and loud voice.
"What is it?'' one of the other men in the tent, a handsome middle-aged man in the middle, was intrigued by the sudden burst of laughter.
The robust general calmed down and turned to the man in the middle before answering respectfully with a bow. "Your Majesty, the scouts report that one of their generals has fled the battlefield."
"Ohh," the man seated in the middle was the King of the Blackthorn Kingdom. His expression was curious and surprised before he asked, "Which general?"
"It was the old goat, Asher—" Before the robust man could even finish his words, the other 2 generals started laughing out loud, their voices shaking the tent as they echoed across the encampment.
They saw this as a sign of weakness and believed victory, which was all but assured, was now even more accessible to claim.
They urged their King to sound the horn for battle.
King Orion sat there and listened attentively, his mind racing with different thoughts. He was skeptical at first, but due to the constant assurance and insistence of his generals, he decided on the next course of action.
He called out for the alarm to sound, signaling the beginning of the siege of the city. The Blackthorn Kingdom forces roared with excitement and fighting spirit. They gathered their weapons and slowly began their march towards the city walls.
Meanwhile, in the Verdant Vale Kingdom's castle, Ethan was persuaded to give a speech to his men; although he had never done such a thing, due to William's suggestions for it to happen, he reluctantly agreed.
The men gathered in the city's training ground. Ethan stood on his balcony and looked down at the men standing before him. A variety of emotions and expressions flooded the crowd.
Fear, anxiety, and tiredness took the majority, with only a few with resolute gazes. Seeing their expressions made Ethan nervous. Giving a speech was never his forte, and one thing said wrong could lead to their morale dropping even further.
He calmed his nerves and took a deep breath. He had never spoken to a crowd such as this before, but his time watching action, war, and fantasy movies and media was well spent.
"Brothers!! Listen well. War is upon us. The Blackthorn Kingdom lurks outside our gates like a wolf eyeing its prey, waiting for us to show weakness. Today, I say we will not be sheep. My brothers, the enemies eye our land; they want our daughters, wives, and mothers.
As Ethan's words echoed in their ears, his words ignited a fire within the soldiers, filling them with a renewed sense of purpose and a fighting spirit. They also understood the importance of defending their beloved Verdant Vale.
To that, I say, TO HELL WITH THEM!! They will not lay a hand on my people. So come and fight! Fight with me! For your land, For your country, For your family!!
"Fight! Fight! Fight"