In the middle of a patch of rain forest, cleared by the destruction of battle, two third rankers stared at each other. One with solemnity, the other with indifferent amusement.
So far, they had mostly engaged in probing attacks in an attempt to find weaknesses, for the simple reason that they were mostly there to protect their troops against the other.
If they could secure an easy win, they would, but the simple fact was that third rankers were a precious resource. Even assuming they wanted to give their life for the cause, doing so would deal a significant blow to the factions behind them.
Thus, they preferred not to escalate their battle unless absolutely necessary. If a winner was determined among the lower ranking troops, the other third ranker was likely to give up and retreat.
