9 Sorrow, Despair and Determination

-Leo 8 years old-

"Hey mom, why can't I play with the other kids?"

"Because it's dangerous, my darling, what if something happens to you? Then I would have to get you and we would be discovered. I have told you many times that bad people are after us, who want to hurt us. You have to be patient until the bad people forget about us. Do you understand, my darling?"

"Okay, but I get to play with the blocks upstairs, right?"

"But only for one hour, then you will learn with me how to talk properly with others. And clean up the mess when you're done. This is an important rule you must never forget: Always clean up after yourself so no one notices."

"Okay Mom."

Leo and his mother lived in a run-down house which was very old and shabby. But this was their only option not to be noticed, if their family would find them, everything would be destroyed. As always, he played in his small room with the only toy he had. He was never bored, his imagination was endless and so he was always building new figures. Suddenly he stumbled and fell on a loose board in the floor. When he lifted it up, he found a gun and a big knife, at the sight he got scared and fell backwards. His mom always told him that these things were very dangerous and would eat little children. But Leo's curiosity trumped his fear and so he walked a little closer to the hiding place again. He remembered seeing these things before. He used to sneak out of his bedroom and stare at the TV from a distance. Movies were playing there in which these things could be seen. The first one shot a bullet so fast that it made the other fall over. The second one made the skin turn red and made the man cry out, at the sight he ran back to his room as fast as he could. The two had been living in the house for 1 year now, before that they were always on the move. Leo could remember always sitting in a big box that ran very fast.

So the two spent their days in the house, only to get new groceries his mother sneaked out of the house and blocked all the windows and doors. Leo always waited nicely in his room and played with his building blocks, but one day he saw the children playing with a ball across the street. His mother had forbidden him to leave the house, but that day Leo's curiosity got the better of him. He swung a scarf towards the window handle through which the window opened. He would just watch the children for a moment and then go back into the house. He walked along the sidewalk and hid in front of the slide at the playground. When he heard the children laughing he went up to them and asked if he could play with them. The children just looked at him funny and walked away. Suddenly he heard fast footsteps and a loud noise behind him.

"Leo, damn it, what are you doing out here? Do you know how scared I was, I thought you promised me to stay in the house. I'm very disappointed in you."

With tears in his eyes, he apologized to his mother, who looked around in panic and ran back into the house with him.

"Leo, what did I tell you. You only had one rule you didn't follow. Did you see what happens when you go out of the house. No one played with you the way you thought they would, outside there are only bad people who want nothing to do with you."

Leo ran upstairs and hid under the bed sheets. He whispered softly to himself with tears in his eyes. Hours passed and evening came. Suddenly he heard a loud crash downstairs and a loud scream from his mother. As he stared down, several men could be seen tying up his mother. Screaming, he ran downstairs while he started crying.

"Leave my mother alone."

The next moment he was lifted up by one of the men and held in a tight grip from which he could not get out. A man in a black suit walked up to his bound mother.

"Jade, my dear Jade...you must know what happens when you turn your back on the family. Now you will pay the price."

His mother just spat in the man's face whereupon she was slapped by one of the other men.

"This is the first time you have disobeyed me. How did it come to this, because of my other wife or because of that brat?"

His mother became even angrier until one of the men tied her mouth.

"Actually, I should thank the kid, through him we have discovered you. I was just about to finish the search in this town but then I saw a woman with a birthmark on her left cheek and knew it had to be my Jade. Ironic that the one you wanted to protect would betray you. It would have been so easy Jade. You should have let little...what's his name...Leo? You should have just let him die and these problems would never have arisen. Taking in an illegal child is completely out of the question. If you had never gotten pregnant, I could still hold you in my arms today. But I understand, everyone makes mistakes...only yours is too big to forgive. But don't worry Jade, I won't kill the little one. It would be a waste not to let him at least work for the family. Now no one knows who he is but if you continue to resist I will have to change my decision. Well, it's time to teach him his first lesson: Show him that his mother is nothing but a toy."

They tied his mother to her bed and took off her clothes. Leo saw the men trying to get their hands on his mother. He managed to get out of the man's grip and ran upstairs to his room. Leo lifted the board and grabbed the gun. When one of the men came for him, he shot him in the leg. The man cried out in pain and writhed on the floor. Leo ran past him and went into the bedroom. All the men remained silent when they saw the gun in his hand. When he heard his mother cry out in pain, he closed his eyes and shot the man who was grabbing at her. The recoil caused him to fall backwards and lose the pistol from his hands. When he saw what he had just done, he froze and teared up. The man was unharmed but his mother's chest was pierced. She fell forward lifeless and was straight dead.

"Who the hell gave that kid the gun?! Whoever is responsible for this will be executed immediately. I don't need incompetent people in my family. What a mess! Take her away and put her in a bag. Any evidence will be eliminated, I don't have time for more problems. And take the brat with you, now I can have him killed all the less. He's already half-dead inside, which makes it all the easier for me. All his life he shall be tortured by his, I will not let him die so easily. The kid shall feel the mistakes of his mother."

-1 year later-

"You've been in this estate for a long time, but you still can't follow the rules. No dinner for you tonight, it's time you learn from your mistakes. Unlike your mother, whom you killed."

When Leo heard these words, he was frightened and hid in the corner of his small room. For almost 2 days he did not speak a word until one of the servants came to him. As time went by, Leo began to talk to her more and more. One day she helped him escape and showed him how to leave the estate. Determined, he ran along the path until finally the man in the black suit caught him and showed him something. His "friend" was having fun with two of his men, this was her reward for befriending him. Leo was imprisoned again, his emotions had ceased to exist and he no longer saw any point in living. But his attempts to take his own life failed every time. On his 12th birthday he was allowed to leave the estate and lived with another woman and her daughter. It soon became clear that she was almost exactly like the man in the black suit. Her daughter wanted nothing to do with Leo and stayed away from him. He was allowed to lead a relatively normal life but was broken inside. The woman sent him to a school where he completely failed. He had no education and so he was forced to study at home. One of the teachers saw Leo and took pity on him. He offered Leo to study with him after school. When he asked the woman she agreed, that way she would have less trouble with him. Over the next few years he grew into a proper boy who had regained some of his emotions and even had friends. He learned to lock up and forget the cruel memories. Still, the woman's daughter didn't like him and teased him almost every day. But Leo didn't mind his situation at home anymore, rather he was looking forward to being back at school soon and playing with his friends. He learned how to deal with his teacher and thus improved his situation. But every dream comes to an end. Shortly before his 17th birthday, the woman decided to move and send him to another school. Panic-stricken, Leo tried to resist, but it was futile. So he changed to a new school to which he had to get used. There were various clubs, including basketball, chess, athletics, etc..

Even though he was very sad inside, his mind forced him to be open-minded and curious about the new situation. When he was about to introduce himself to the class, he froze and started shaking. In each of the seats sat his mother with a hole in her chest. He felt sick and was about to pass out until he heard a voice.

"-EO LEO wake up, what's wrong with you? What kind of dream did you have?

In front of him was Freo who woke him up and lifted him up. After a few seconds he recognized reality again. He was still a little dizzy, but he saw that the portals were beginning to burn. By now it was morning, all the soldiers had their weapons ready and were ready to fight.

"You wait for my order, whoever leaves the formation I will execute personally. Be alert, the enemy could appear at any moment."

Not even a minute after Soran said his words, the battle started. What the soldiers saw made them freeze and tremble. Huge four-legged monsters with long necks stepped out of the portal. All over their bodies were eyes. Next to them were smaller monsters that resembled a cerberus. Their whole body was covered with razor-sharp claws that served as armor.

Contrary to their strategy, the dwarves simply charged at the monsters.

"These idiots, they're just going for it! They'll be our death! We're only going forward to the edge of the forest and not a step further. Then it's defense, everyone stay in formation. Now move out!"

Full of fear and panic, Soran's army advanced. One of the fighters stopped and tried to flee. After a few seconds, he was pierced by an arrow.

"I specifically told you what would happen if you refused to fight, focus on the fight!"

Sorin was not only trained in sword fighting but he also had a bow strapped to his back. Another reason why he was one of the best commanders in this battle. Arriving at the position, they saw the monsters getting closer and closer. Next to him were Freo and Alias, both of whom were full of panic. Leo noticed that he himself was getting calmer and could concentrate more and more. One of the squads from the other units continued to advance across the huge river and directly met the clawed monsters. There was little area of attack that they could not take advantage of. Their weapons only bounced off the metal, the arrowheads shattering off the skin. A horror movie played out before Leo's eyes. The bodies of the soldiers were pierced, cut and torn. Their screams made him panic again, but he had no choice but to fight. Anyone who tried to escape would be killed by Soran. No matter how Leo imagined it, in a few minutes they would face death without a chance of survival. Soran also realized this and ordered his people back for the time being. The other generals were also pushed back. While Leo was running back, he saw that the monsters were going through the water. At that moment he remembered back to his school days, his thoughts almost making his head explode. When the army stopped, he called loudly for Soran. He held his sword to his neck and ordered him to be quiet. But when Leo shouted out his idea, Soran listened carefully. After analyzing the situation, he gave an order to the mages waiting further back.

"If your idea fails you will die here on the spot. Although that's probably more merciful than being killed by those creatures. We'll be ready in two minutes, so explain your crazy plan to everyone again soldier!"

"The monsters have few vulnerable spots and their skin seems very thick, so I would avoid direct head-on combat. The creatures have just crossed the river, the water has soaked them. With lightning magic, it could be that the electric charge at least paralyzes the monsters. At that moment, fire magic could not only strengthen the electric charge but also make the monsters explode. That's my plan Commander!"

None of the other soldiers could understand Leo's words and just looked at him as if he was crazy. But in their hopeless situation, any idea could help. Still, everyone thought Leo was a madman.

"Listen men, this soldier is not from our world. Together with the chosen ones he was summoned to this world but unlike the others without any powers. He is the cripple who is mocked by everyone. Probably everyone is either surprised, enraged or even both right now. But Commander Grae personally recommended this boy to me. That's the only reason I included him in my squad and let him march with you. I too think his idea is completely crazy and stupid but for once in my life I will pay attention to Grae's evaluation. So look ahead and see if we have a idiot or a genius in our ranks."

After the monsters on Soran's battle side crossed the river, they were attacked by thunder bolts. Sparks flew from their bodies and they began to stagger. When the mages saw this, they signaled each other. In the next moment, each mage fired a ball of flame at the creatures in front of them. When the fire touched the metal, a huge white cloud formed and exploded. A loud bang was heard across the battlefield. When the smoke disappeared, only pieces of the monsters could be seen scattered around. When the mages saw this, they immediately took care of the rest of these creatures. The soldiers looked completely surprised while Soran couldn't believe and just smiled tiredly.

"Soldier , your idea worked. Congratulations, you will not be executed on the spot, but the battle is not over yet. Surely you also see the giant creatures rushing towards us. It will hardly be possible to use the same strategy, will it soldier? Surely you have a tactic for that as well?"

"Yes Commander, for that we need the remaining alcohol supplies. Each of these 3 giants must be soaked in alcohol. Then the mages will shoot a huge ball of flame at them so that they start to burn. Since their skin is probably even stronger, this fire is not enough. Therefore, we need a lot of water to cover the monsters constantly. Since I don't know any magic that can produce such a huge amount of water for a very long time, we can only rely on our luck. Already since early morning gray clouds can be seen above us, if it comes to rain a constant amount of water will flow over the creatures. Alcohol soaked fire will not extinguish it as it is known but will intensify it. The flames will destroy the skin and burn the creatures until they are completely burned."

"Soldier, you don't seriously want us to rely on luck. Pure luck has never decided a battle, but now it will? Your words make no sense to me, reinforcing fire with water sounds insane. Without the alcohol, the men's morale drops and their motivation is lowered. I almost think you are trying to kill us on purpose. What do you think the other troops should do, just die on the front lines for no reason?"

"No Commander, all soldiers should retreat. There should be no more senseless deaths!"

"Soldier, are you capable enough to have the lives of hundreds of people on your conscience?"

"Whether it is one or a hundred, I will forever carry the burden with me Commander!"

"Very well soldier, your have our hopeless situation as an advantage. The order has been passed on, now it is in the hands of others whether they accept the plan or think it is too crazy. Either way, we hold our ground. These critters are marching on us without pause, a few more minutes and we will have no choice but to fight them head on. The way I see it, your proposal was not accepted, your madness must not have made enough impression on the other units. Soldiers, prepare to defend..."

At that moment, the alcohol barrels were fired through the catapults at the creatures. They hit the monsters directly, the liquid ran down their legs. After that, huge fireballs were shot at the monsters through more catapults. As planned, the alcohol ignited and the creature began to burn. But it did not stop them from continuing to charge at the army. Leo closed his eyes and thought of his friends and the memories they had made in that short time. Soon he would never be able to see them again. Suddenly something dripped on Leo's nose, the smell Leo knew all too well. He began to grin and looked up into the air. Pouring rain was falling over the battlefield. The creatures screamed as the flames grew larger and larger. When they finally tried to cross the river, the fire penetrated their skin and burned them from the inside. Suddenly a huge bang could be heard, the bodies of the monsters exploded and the pieces raced through the air like projectiles. As one of the projectiles rushed toward Leo, it bounced off an invisible wall. The mages formed a shield around the armies in that short time. A loud swoosh came from the portal as it grew smaller and smaller and finally disappeared. Roaring cheers could be heard everywhere, but Leo was only happy that he had survived. It was also clear to Soran that they had suffered far fewer losses because of Leo. After talking with him, Soran was determined to give Leo a permanent place as a soldier. Without listening to Leo's request, Soran told everyone that Leo had planned these strategies, not him. Most could hardly believe Sorin's words that a weak soldier was responsible for their victory. Now there was even more pressure on Leo, this was Soran's way of proving himself. Leo was about to confront him when Soran made a final announcement.

"Since I see many who do not believe my words, I will make it clear to everyone in another way that I am serious. I hereby make the soldier Leo the general of my unit, he is the commander of my troops. I will take over other troops."

He turned to his unit and spoke to them.

"Whoever does not obey his orders will be executed on the spot-"

"Whoever does not obey my orders will be questioned on the spot. If no proper answer is given, determination is lacking or escape attempts are made, the person will be executed in front of the other soldiers. Anyone who opposes my attitude will be executed. I will present further rules and orders in the coming days."

Leo stood up and immediately assumed his role.

After the speech, he ordered a meeting with his own unit. After some scruples and problems, everyone realized that they had survived because of him. Inwardly, they put their trust in Leo...for the time being. From now on, he would decide about many lives.