PROLOGUE

Cover art created with the help of AI bot 'Midjourney'.

Written by Mob1D1ck

Wars are fought by the bravest. Wars are sought by the greediest. Wars are celebrated by the clueless. Wars are remembered by us.

The battlefields scream with terror as the garrison of Krakow has been defeated in its bold sally out. Yet the screams of agony and despair are not to be heard, rather it's the screams of joy and hope. The sacrifice charge of the garrison has brought a massive blow to the vanguard of the 23rd army of the Rhine. The citizens of Krakow; now out of the city and in a steady column to the nearby fort, cheer along their men as their heroic charge has severely impacted the advance of the Deutsch federation. Among the citizens, an officer leads the group with a squad of riflemen, as he commands order among the defenseless column, he still cannot outshout the weeps of the infants and the cries of the mothers who have just witnessed the deaths of their kin. The column moves through day and night taking small rests of 15 minutes every 10 kilometers; there are still 2 long days till the gates of the fort will embrace the tragic souls of Krakow… the year was 1910, winter has set in. The Deutsch federation has declared war on the Russian empire and begun their swift march forward… onto victory.

Under the command of Von Schlieffen, the Deutsch federation has set into action their plan of the swift removal of the Holy Russian Empire from the war by damaging its infrastructure and taking over the most populated and industrialized regions the Empire has to offer. 6 armies and 3 air fleets were committed to this bold operation with 15 supply wagons in the backlines, a massive army only seen in the times of the french tyrant Napoleon, a century ago. Saying that this was a bold plan was certainly a bold understatement: 12 million infantry, 1500 steel plates, 600 artillery pieces and exactly 600 airships assigned to 6 air fleets. This was enough to pull the heavens to the farming fields and push hell far enough that the holy books will forget of its presence.

"Sir Maximius, we near the fortress in one night and two days. The citizens are getting tired; shall you order them to rest?"

The voice of a young soldier breaks the harmonic tune of the grasshoppers admiring the night sky.

"Like hell we will Pyotr, we shall walk this night and see the sun shine its presence over our holy empire. Only then I shall think of such words as rest!"

A voice so deep yet so loud… It all made sense to Pyotr - why the commander of the Krakow garrison elected Maximius to lead the citizens of Krakow to safety, a pure charisma and a commanding aura were only strengthened by his inspiring voice; not to speak of his achievements among the scouts to delay the Deutsch steel plates from destroying the walls of Krakow giving the city hope that was grasped away by the announcement of the defeat of the Warsaw army and form a plan of action in the time Maximius gifted to Krakow's garrison.