A Reunion, A Surprise

Through the noises of pickaxes and tools repairing the trenches, Ixander walked through all the repairs alongside Felix. "What has happened ever since our last encounter?" asked Ixander.

"I went back to my family, excited to tell them that I have earned so much from defeating a bandit's lair. I could never forget the smile of my mother, my sister and my stepfather..."

"Stepfather?" asked Ixander again.

"He was better than my father. In fact, I would not call him stepfather if it was not mandated by fate" responded Felix.

"Where's your family now?" asked Ixander.

"My sister's the only one left. The Albanese forces did my family good. I don't know where my stepfather or my mother is now…" responded Felix.

Ixander then admired Felix and said "You've changed."

"Of course, sir. Twenty years" responded Felix.

"Mind I ask how old you are, right now?" asked Ixander.

"Thirty-three sir" responded Felix.

Ixander let out a laugh. He was eleven back then. Now that Ixander is thirty-seven, he just realized that most of the men he was given back when they were raiding the bandit camps were just between the ages of ten to twenty. No older, no younger.

In fact, Ixander does not look much older than when he was fourteen. He just got taller and that is all it.

"My, my, from there we started, now we're here" said Ixander.

Both men let out a light laugh.

Suddenly, not from afar, several bells have been hammered by officers in a sudden alarm.

"AN ATTACK! ON YOUR POSITIONS!"

"An Attack?! This early?! This is not to be expected" said Ixander.

Felix then said "I will go back to my position, sir."

Ixander nodded at him, then he rode and galloped his horse at the nearest barracks.

At the front, the enemies are expected to be beyond the mist, but they do know that the enemy will approach anytime.

A young soldier opened a locket containing the image of his beloved. He opened it, and appeared a beautiful, young lady.

Another soldier to his right asked him "Where's she now?"

"I don't know. I just hoped that she retreated to here."

Another soldier hid a crumpled picture. It was a man of his same age. It seems that his romantic interest fetches far from what the society demands him to be interested at.

That soldier then crumpled the picture in his hand, placed it between his fists, and kissed his fist.

The field above the tattered, unfixed trenches are misty and quiet. However, the silence will be broken.

An officer spoke out among the lines, and began telling the soldiers what they are capable of.

"Some twenty years ago, our armies were equipped with crossbows, lances and halberds which are rusted and unmaintained. Now, you hold weapons of powerful caliber and now have the ability to shoot our enemies, on which a score before we have no ability to do that. We were an outdated army. So men, do not be discouraged! You now have more than a hundred times the capability to save Livinia! GLORY TO THE VIRTUE OF LIVINIA!" cried the officer.

The entire mass of forces along the trenches raised their rifles, cheering and screaming in frenzy as they hear and realize that indeed, their army has more capability and hope than a score years ago.

The enemy draws closer, the galloping of some of their cavalry regiments are getting louder, and the noise of what sounds like a bayonet charge by mass of armies are coming closer as well.

The artillerymen then ordered "FIRE!" and so, canister shots were fired against the approaching army.

Upon approach however, it was less that a second. The entire Albanese army, with their bayonets on, attacked the trenches while the Livinians returned fire.

On the left flank, it was more of a problem. Not only was the left flank attacked by mass of infantry, but also with cavalry.

"Inform the barracks of the need to relief left!" said an officer from the left to a soldier.

"B-but sir, I…"

"WE WILL BE FINE! DO AS I ORDERED!" said the officer.

The officer is then faced with more troops. He however ordered the left to hold on. Aside from this, it was rare for an officer to fight alongside the troops, as if they fight, they would be at risk dying, and there will be no one to command the troops.

The officer however did not mind this. They fought valiantly waves upon waves of troops that the Great Alban is sending out.

And then, a bullet struck the shoulder of the officer. He immediately fell, but as his sight was fading, a cavalry from behind alongside a relief of troops have arrived. It was commanded by none other than Ixander.

"Charge onto them, no pity and mercy to those who kill our men!" ordered Ixander.

With a fading voice, the officer said "Finally…"

Meanwhile, the soldier who was sent to the barracks has arrived with them. "Sir, sir! MEDIC!" called the soldier.

The officer looked at him, grabbed his arm, pertaining him to stop. The officer then fainted from the loss of blood.

"Sir! Sir!!" the soldier kept calling him and waking him up, to no avail. Ixander can only look at the scene sadly. The soldier removed his helmet and wept.

Ixander dismounted his horse, as the background of soldiers cheering on their victory and the sound of artillery ringing from the fields mask the sadness of that moment.

Ixander approached the deceased officer, then he removed his hat in salute to the officer.

"Pardon me, soldier. I have not arrived enough to save so many men" said Ixander.

Meanwhile, on the Albanese side, Vilmios, Ponram and the Baron-General Vladistav heard of the failed surprise attack on the left due to a relief by Ixander.

"For the last few weeks we've been faced with successes, but our most important attack was thwarted!" Vladistav expressed whilst pounding the table, toppling all the set pieces on the strategic map before them.

"We have not known of any sightings of Ixander, up until now that he has relieved the left flank…" said Ponram

"Where could he have been?" wondered Vladistav.

Meanwhile, news from the Carabian front reached the ears of Willemus. In the Palace of Axan, Willemus looks at the telegram and receives report of the failure to quickly subdue the Kingdom of Carab. He also received reports of Livinians being present at the premises of the Carabian capital. This word also reached General Vladistav via a telegram also sent to him.

"I think…I might know where that damned Ixander has been ever since…" said Vladistav.

Vladistav went out from his tent and saw line and lines of bodies of their troops that have been retrieved amidst the ensuing assault against the Livinians.

The leaves are falling, the air is getting cooler. If the Albanese army does not maintain potential, they might be assaulted at any given time. However, Vladistav knew that if he kept this potential, it's a death march throughout the entire winter. In other words, he has to decide whether he will risk keeping the army's potential throughout the fall, and deprive the potential during winter, or reduce the rations so that the entire army can go through about the entire winter.

On the other bank of the river, the soldiers are also having difficulty building their trenches. Indeed, their supplies of tools and weapons have been replenished, but their fortifications just cannot be maintained in its current state.

Ixander did notice that both sides had irrevocable casualties. And so, he ordered a courier to fly a white flag, send a letter of truce to the enemy General for the whole duration of winter.

The contents of the telegram are as follows:

"To my most humble and valorous enemy,

We have fought well as adversaries in this very unpredictable confrontation between our two armies. We have been fighting through thick and thin, through mist and fog, through storms and blizzards.

It is it humble heart that I ask that both our armies enter a truce to recover all the bodies that have been left on the fields that divide us. The streams of the Great Livinian River have been blocked with endless streams of bodies, and the water is barely flowing through the Gulf of Alban. Our armies are tired, our relatives are mourning…it is perhaps time we enter a temporary time of peace.

After all, the day of Khova's Glory will be on the 35th Saharmia. We both want our armies to celebrate in peace. Our armies may be divided in blood, but by faith they are one.

Signed,

Ixander, GQ, CMs"

General Vladistav received the telegram. To him, it seemed reasonable that a truce has to be done. He knew that Willemus would not be so glad to hear that there will be a truce between the Livinians and Albanese men. Instead, General Vladistav sent the telegram to Duke-General Willemus, and let him decide on this.

Vladistav sent the courier back to Ixander, saying "The decision will not be up to me, it will be up to the Duke-General. Tell him that."