"Do you think we can win?" Kehinde looked at her brother as she stood, half wrapped in his arms.
Before her brother Taiwo could reply, Siestri beat him to it: "We have to. There are only two options today: we either win this war, saving Earth, humanity, and all of the Triform, or we lose and Earth is conquered by these filthy demons, the humans are enslaved, and we are completely wiped out."
"That has always been the style of the demons. Every time they arrive at a new world, they wipe out the strongest and opposing force completely and then enslave the weak ones to their benefit." Bjorn stood tall while he folded his hands.
Harold Decker whined as he listened to his companions, "I honestly wish we could just let the humans be enslaved. Why fight a war for people who'd rather put us on pikes, stake our hearts, or stab us with silver?"
They all turned to look at him with disdain, but they couldn't refute his words. The humans had always been wary of them, ever ready to put them to death at the slightest chance.
Now, they stood at the forefront of a battle that the humans would never know of as they fought with their lives on the line.
They all wished they could be as open as Harold was, but deep down, they knew the harsh truth. This world, the Earth, just couldn't exist without the humans.
Darren, walking out of the teleportation portal, looked across the Triform leaders that stood at the back. Clearing his throat, he prepared to give his warming and honest speech since this was no place to awe and inspire soldiers.
"I understand that most of you have lived longer than I have, seen this world far more than I have, watched the humans grow and die countless times, and made some dire sacrifices along the way. I ask but one thing: that you accept me as your leader as we go to war, trusting my judgment all the way."
With a sigh, he looked upon their faces. He considered these people as his mothers and fathers, wishing that none of them would die, but that was inevitable. This was war, a war where they were greatly disadvantaged.
If they were to win this war, it would be with many sacrifices, and he would have to live with that for eternity. Even now, as he gave his speech, Triform brothers and sisters were being torn apart and reduced to a bloody mess right before his eyes.
In pain, he continued, "I know you may even resent me and have a deep hatred for the humans but this is what we must do. They cannot protect themselves. They do not have the power that we have. I know this is not even your responsibility but a burden that has been forced on your already heavy backs to carry. I plead with you to follow me into battle and with your strength, I can lead us to victory."
Silence reigned amongst them, with Harold even turning his back to them, clearly showing his disinterest and unwillingness. Darren couldn't blame him; vampires had suffered for many years at the hands of humans.
He perused the faces of the others, and his eyes settled on Rayla. The witches had been burned at the stake in many cities, and even innocent humans had been subject to these inhumane acts. He wondered what her stand would be.
In the little silence that could be obtained on such a noisy battlefield, the light footsteps of a heavy man slowly approached Darren's side.
"I've always considered you a brother, even though you're much younger than me, so you should know that I'll surely stand with you. Gregory! What are you waiting for? Do you need a smack on your head before you step forward?"
Bjorn laughed in this very uneasy moment, and it seemed to lighten the murky air that circled. Heeding his elder brother's call, Gregory stepped forward with a bit of reluctance and stood right beside his brother.
These werewolf brothers had lived a long time and fought many wars as humans and as werewolves. To them, wars were just opportunities for them to cross over and have their names minted in gold on Valhalla walls. Although they had spent many years as werewolves, they still held onto their human superstitions.
Darren smiled. He had hoped that the werewolf brothers would stand with him and that they would not fall short of his expectations. In his heart, he promised to protect them to the best of his abilities.
But he was about to be surprised, as his smile had just reached its peak. Siestri, the most accomplished wizard of the witch tribe, stepped forward, and right behind him was Rayla, the present Witch Queen.
"I wasn't expecting you both to step forward, seeing as one of you is the Witch Queen and the other, the most accomplished wizard in history. I had even prayed that you'd at least agree to stay on the battlefield and provide support to the rest of the troops."
Siestri, speaking for himself and his queen, let his words roll out, "Although we've both been met with hostility from the humans, there are still admirable ones amongst them. And even though most of our tribe are exempt from this battle, we made sure to bring those well versed in the healing and battle arts of witchcraft. We will support you to the end, Engelsblut."
Engelsblut, a name given to him at birth by the angel, heralding the prophecy of the demons' invasion. A name he had no choice but to accept and one that had him ostracized from his vampire kind.
He made a mental note to ensure that this name vanished with time as this generation died or removed themselves from their clan's affairs.
He looked at the last three that remained and stood opposite him: vampires, his father's tribe. With hope in his eyes, he looked at the twins as his expression pleaded for their assistance.
His uncle had been the one to save and turn them when he had travelled to Africa to research one of the diseases that plagued humans.
He had been to Nigeria to create a cure for a novel disease that was running rampant in their country. Their parents had been one of the diseased victims who, even with the little they had, welcomed him into their home and provided food for him.
Even with all the efforts to save them, the disease had brought them to death's door before the cure was ready. After their death, he had taken Taiwo and Kehinde as his children and they were just like cousins to him.
Amongst the vampire tribe, his uncle, Alderan King, was the one who loved humans the most. He went as far as taking one to be his wife, although short-lived as humans could never live as long as supernaturals.
Unfortunately, Alderan was long dead and couldn't ride with him into battle today. A tear dropped from his left eye as his childhood memories came pouring in.
With his mouth slowly parting and a soft, sad whisper, "P-Please."