5 IV.

I saw him in all his glory, even though it was only once. It happened on a ship, on a foggy night, when Miss Thessalia (Count Ortin's widow) and I were the only passengers awake on deck. And, in the silence of the misty night, we laughed at the secret of our forbidden love. Amid the passionate rapture of my soul, it took me a while to notice my countess's chrysanthemum eyes lost in the gray veil of the night. I turned and became ice: I saw, at the stern of the ship, a ghostly silhouette. The body of an elven creature, like me and my love, raised two meters above our heads, with a sovereign bearing inconceivable to those who inhabit this world. He wore formal robes and carried a scarf in his hand. His almost translucent body was imposing like a king and his proud face demanded obedience. "Your time has come", his voice boomed in my head and I felt his power. "Here I am, to take what has been denied to me." And he offered me the handkerchief. I, once a joyful lover, now reduced myself to a poor, subservient soul. I did not have the strength to deny his request. I would have passed through the foggy veil and lost this body that writes to you, if my beloved one had not reached out and grabbed the handkerchief first, in a passionate sacrifice, surrendering her own body to the incorporeal ruin, leaving me here, with ink and feathers, to register my loves and regrets. To be a living witness that the incorporeal spectrum exists and that they are as powerful as the very entities that rule over this world.

* Aeronn V. R. Thewnes – Journeys – Tome II *

The incorporeal are as real as the decencies of an elf. Exactly. They don't exist.

* Hector Vladslaw – Vampire of Vivre's royal guard. *

*

They got out of the tent shouting orders for everybody. Barsen and Yvanna did not need to tell Rinlia that they had to coordinate their platoons and fix their defenses.

-Where is Gasser? – She asked Thiago, who was still by her side.

-He is on his way, ma'am.

Another thunder. The soldier's eyes widen when he sees the lightning flash that accompanied the sound. Rinlia saw her own reflection in them and knew she was impeccably masking her fear. Like a commander needs to do.

-I went to check if the horses were ready, ma'am. – Gasser's hoarse voice sounds nearby when she needs him most. As always. – They are ready for a withdrawal.

She shakes her head. The skinny, yellow-skinned hobgoblin, trapped in an armor not made for his tiny body, had been her personal assistant for years. He knew her habits. But there are no habits in such an abnormal situation.

-The horses are scared because of the thunders. They are more sensitive to magic than us. If we try to withdraw, they can rebel, and we will not be able to maintain the formation. At best, one or two will survive from running ahead.

The words make an impact on the face of the soldier with brown hair. She gets irritated by his lack of courage, but restrains herself, knowing that a reprimand could push him in the direction of despair.

-Go to Barsen. He will give your orders. – She dismisses him and, seeing him leave, sighs with relief for not having to see his face for now. Then, she turns again to the hobgoblin. – Help the others to organize the defenses. I don't want anyone scattered. After that, bind the horses to the constructions on the side of the camp that is further away from the place we will use to battle. Yvanna and Barsen will organize the trenches and the placement of everyone.

-Even the soldiers on their first mission?

-Everyone. I can't ask for anyone to sacrifice themselves, but I also can't put just the four of us on the front lines. Only two or three lucky ones will be taking care of the supplies.

-Yes, madam commander.

-And Gasser.

-Yes?

-The platoon commanders will have to command the defenses, so we will also be in the middle of the battle. Your role is not to fight, but to be defended. Gather two other soldiers and stay with some supplies and the fastest horses, in some safe place. If it happens for us to be defeated, I want you to go ahead and deliver the message of our king. Leave us behind. The mission is our priority.

The hobgoblin takes bows down. Rinlia swallows hard when he leaves. She looks around and see the intense movement of people carrying materials to improvise barricades, magic flasks to create fire (and explosions) and weapons to attack and defend. Some soldiers check the edge of their swords, others analyze the plume of their arrows. Some analyze the weight of axes and maces. Rinlia knows that the only wizard who was supposed to be supporting her magic was killed during the second time they were attacked by bandits. They always aimed at magicians first.

-And it is so hard to find somebody that is sensitive to magic… - She sighs, closing her eyes and trying to imagine the entirety of the camp and how to defend it better.

*

Even in the hurry caused by the situation, the defenses were well organized.

A flash of lightning is immediately accompanied by the roar of a new thunder.

-Beasts! – A scout who had been assigned to watch further down the road comes screaming into the camp. – Beasts from the Great Forest!

-Animals? – Barsen, walking through the soldiers, has a sparkle in his eyes. – They may be agitated by magic, but at least they are not spectrals.

Rinlia would be happy too, if not for the soldier's desperate expression.

-Sir, they are not agitated. They are in rage because of the thunders and are coming towards our camp!

-How many? – She asks.

-Madam, I could not count, for they are too many. There are wolves, bats and who knows what else, among them.

-How much time do we have?

-Five minutes. Maybe less.

Barsen spits on the floor at the soldier's feet and put his hand on his shoulder.

-Get a weapon and go to the barricade. You did well as a scout. Now it is time to do well as a soldier.

The soldier walks away, and the ogre adjusts the ax in his hand. Behind the barricades, twelve warriors wait nervously. Barsen and Yvanna are positioned a little behind them, equidistant from the edges of the protection, waiting to attack whatever could pass the front line. Just over two meters behind them, arranged in a semicircle, the archers positioned themselves with their quivers filled. Protected by them is the commander, the only surviving mage of the expedition.

The forces are arranged in a semi-open part of the ruins, positioned between several pillars that resisted weather and corrosion over time. The barricades were placed in the best space for an enemy to advance, and even animals, when coming in that direction, would have to pass through there if they did not want to be trapped in the narrowest corridors in the middle of the ruins. In return, the defenses made in a hurry could be circumvented after some exploration by the enemy, which meant that they would need to defeat as many opponents as possible before being surrounded.

Rinlia recognizes one of the soldiers holding his sword behind the barricades. It is the one with brown hair and ocher-colored eyes.

-Put another soldier here, Barsen. Leave him with the supplies. I don't want somebody tamed by fear protecting my back.

The ogre looks sullenly at the indicated soldier.

-Commander, he was the only one who asked to help protect the barricade. The others were silent, hoping to be chosen to protect the supplies.

Rinlia frowned, confused by the soldier's attitude. However, she had no time to learn more about the situation. Yvanna approached after checking that the archers had what they needed. Rinlia called for her.

-Regardless of what is attacking us, beasts or incorporeals, we will for sure be attacked from all directions. I will be occupied with the attacks of those who can fly. Warriors are not used to air strikes and archers will soon have to fight at close range when whatever is on the ground reaches us. Therefore, I am the only defense for what comes from above. You must cover me, understand?

The soldiers overhear the conversation and see their commanders straightening up.

-Yes ma'am!

A strong wind whistled through the ruins. Rinlia looks ahead and see the barricade hurriedly formed between the small buildings, facing the forest. A few meters behind her is located the hut where the prisoner is.

"I hope you are watching this." She wishes. "I want you to see how benevolent we are, compared to the forces of this world."

The warriors look at their commander. She closes her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before lifting her head and raising her voice.

-Right now, we are prepared for battle. Not as mere soldiers, but as inhabitants of the same world. Creatures united by a single desire: To survive. – She points to them. – Look at the creature next to you. This is the one who will protect you from death. All of us here have earned the right to live, inhabiting our bodies and living our lives. It is our right. – She hits her chest. – As soldiers and living creatures, we will protect our brothers and sisters. We will live for each other. We will die for each other. We will defeat the magic of the thunders and after that we will drink and sing about the glorious victory of the warriors of Fiandel!

A shout of encouragement is sung by the soldiers, who bash their weapons on the ground, making noise and celebrating the speech of Commander Rinlia, the great warrior chosen by the King himself to guide them to Vivre.

-The victory… - She looks ahead. – WILL BE OURS!

Beats against the ground resonate in the distance. A howl echoes. Suddenly, hundreds of different sounds resonate in the night.

A lightning illuminates the sky.

-Archers! – An order shouted by the platinum-haired elf.

A thunder cuts the silence.

-Shoot!

*

Thiago feels his heartbeat with all its strength. Moved by Rinlia's speech, he closes his hand on the hilt of the sword and grips his teeth tightly. Like the other warriors, he faces the cluster of more than a hundred animals that emerge from the elevation in front of the camp.

The sound of arrows cuts through the air for the first time when the horde of enemies is 400 meters away. A shadow in the distance, first to be hit on land, hisses, stumbles and stops moving just several meters later.

-Shoot!

New arrows fly and kill, but the number of hostile creatures does not decrease. More and more shadows of wolves appear running at full speed in their direction. Among the beasts, one deer, more than five feet tall, stand out, with the antlers swaying furiously. Above their heads, bats emit powerful sound waves and eagles make their way in their accelerated flight. All these very distinct creatures seem to be part of the same tribe, launched ahead by a supernatural impulse.

-Shoot!

200 meters.

The warrior's breath is heavy. Besides him, a companion takes a half step back, biting his lip and cursing under his breath. The archers, taking turns to keep the shooting, assume new positions over the taller pillars nearby, in order to avoid attacks coming from the ground. Rinlia steps back and holds both hands up. She does not close her eyes, as did all the magicians that Thiago had seen in previous battles. Instead, she keeps her eyes open and, without saying a word, a bright light illuminates her hands and rises over her head.

The archer changes to quivers that were previously put on the pillars. This time, their arrows have no metal tips, but small cloth bags tied at the tips. They aim at the places with the highest concentration of animals.

This time the contact is different. Upon reaching its target, the bag breaks, spreading magic dust in all directions and, an instant later, bright green flames emerge from them. The animals in flames are thrown over the others and they all scream desperately, lost in fury and pain.

The archers have few of these arrows, but they are effective in reducing the number of enemies. Above their heads, eagles dive towards the front lines of warriors and, at that moment, the beasts are hit by lights, thrown from Rinlia's hands. She winces as the animals are fried by the magic discharge and fall, dead, behind the trenches.

100 meters.

The archers keep firing. There must be about 100 monsters running at full speed and, at that distance, the clash of their paws against the ground is enough to emulate the sound of an entire army jumping on them. Not to mention that, apparently, Rinlia is preparing to be the only defense against more than fifty angry birds that are flying furiously at them. She shoots rays in all directions and do not even look down, relying on her subordinates' protection.

Aware of her thoughts, the soldier looks to the left and to the right. He sees an elf warrior carrying a sword in each hand. He sees a human warrior with short black hair holding a spear. He himself quickly grabs the shield at his feet, with the blade in his other hand.

One last wave of arrows.

Lightning and thunder.

Then the snout crashes against the shield. Metal and meat. A whine comes out between the teeth of the animals, which are unable to break the formation line at first. Arrows fly and explode on animals that pile up in front of the barricade.

With his shield protecting the body, Thiago moves the sword across the protection, injuring the animal below the stomach. A bat falls on his head, killed by the rays, sliding over his body and collapsing on the ground. Another movement of the sword. Another wolf falls.

Thiago feels an animal running between him and his companion and makes a move to chase him.

-Keep the formation! – Barsen's imposing voice immediately interrupts the movement. A heavy sound is followed by a muffled sound and blood flies in all directions when the ax takes the wolf's head off. One more.

The relief lasts for a second. Another wave of animals passes through the flames of the arrows. Most of them ignore the fire, guided by the magical fury that blind their eyes. The ominous view of the beasts passing through dead bodies and fields where the magic explode is enough to freeze the soldier's blood. His hands are shaking, and he thinks about taking a step back.

"No."

He formulates the thought and immediately tilts the body forward. The courage that guides him is contradicted by the trembling of his legs.

"Are we going to die?"

The thought passes through his mind, but he tries to ignore it. A huge antler moose advances at his and his companion's direction. The animal jumps over the barricade, passing over the soldiers' heads. Thiago raises his sword, wounding the beast next to its thigh, spurting blood on him and on the surroundings. He closes his eyes so the blood would not get on his eyes. Because of that, he does not see the lightning.

He only listens to the thunder.

-Yvanna!

Barsen, who had to use his ax to protect himself from the advance of the animal's antlers, calls for help, as the animals are pressing the barricade. The archers are all on the pilasters and the two platoon leaders are the only remaining protection for Rinlia, who cannot be distracted for a second from the aerial protection.

Yvanna, unnerved by the battle, had her cloak bathed in blood. Her hood did not cover her head anymore and the hair was mixing with the blood on her clothes. Upon hearing the call, she opens her mouth, showing her protruding canines in the direction of the animal. In a single movement, she slides across the battlefield, dodging from birds that try at all costs to reach the soldiers, then she passes under the antler and, with the tip of a short dagger, makes a cross-section on the animal's neck.

Upon reaching the other side, she takes an impulse, jumping on her back and doing a pirouette to return to the position she was in before. She does not wait and immediately attacks a wolf that had brought down a soldier. The animals skirt the barricade, flanking the defenses. The archers focus on these animals, delaying the inevitable.

A soldier screams, falling after being hit by the head of a moose and having his chest trampled by another. His scream is desperate, but there is no time for backup to help. His armor is smashed, and his chest is crashed.

-Get back! Form a circle around the commander! – The order shouted by Yvanna is immediately obeyed.

How many did they kill? Thirty? Forty animals? How many more are left? Double that?

Rinlia desperately tries to kill the animals in the sky. Fortunately, the number of air strikes was not as large as the strikes by the ground. Bats, larger in number, were weak enough not to pass through the rays and, being guided by sound, were confused by the sounds of thunders, creating a large opening for the attacks of the mage. Eagles, on the other hand, being creatures fortified by magic, did not immediately die. That occurred because the same rays, divided in order to reach all the beasts, lost some of its power. Rinlia was able to delay them but was unable to completely prevent their advance.

-Archers, attack the eagles! – Despite her desire to defeat the birds without any help, as a commander she knew that she could not take the risk. The soldiers were getting badly hurt and she could not add air strikes to the list of dangers against them.

Sweat drips from her forehead. Yvanna looks at her and nods.

To live or die. It does not matter. Either way, they would continue to fight.

They would survive for each other. They would die for each other.

Like warriors of the Great Kingdom of Fiandel.

*

*