The Beauty of a Beast

Lord Trey, the ambitious ruler of the powerful kingdom of Zayte, was confident in his army's prowess. His standing army was over 500,000 strong and well-trained. They were also very well-equipped thanks to the numerous forges located within their capital city of Taji.

As the armies of the Dragorian Empire headed his way, he'd been quietly amassing his forces, training them, and equipping them with latest technology of tempered-steel edged weapons. A master manipulator, he kept his pursuits well-hidden. No one, not even his closest advisors and most well-trusted generals, knew the true extent of his plans and activities.

All the while, he maintained a facade of fealty to the Empire by sending more than the required monthly tribute and fees for 'protection and maintenance' required by the Empire. Occasionally, the daughters of nobles who opposed him or upset him, would be sent along as well. It was a well-known fact that the illustrious Emperor loved pretty young women as much, if not more so, than treasure and gifts.

He also gained a great deal of support from conquered peoples who were eager to become traitors to the Empire that subjugated them. He had them strategically placed in vassal states throughout the Empire. When they heard of his victory over the Crown Prince's troops, they were to take that as a signal to rise up and overthrow their oppressors. In exchange, they would be allowed to rule their kingdoms once again while paying a small monthly tax to Lord Trey. It was win-win situation for everyone involved. Well, everyone but the Empire of course.

He sat at the head of his army, ready to lead them to victory. Flanked on either side by seven generals, he eagerly anticipated his impending triumph. His troops had already successfully prevented a full-scale invasion for weeks now.

True, there had been considerable casualties. But he was willing to make that sacrifice so long as the outcome was what he desired. It was inevitable that there were some losses on both sides. This was war, after all.

His eyes scanned his battle-hardened and bloodthirsty troops. They were definitely ready to end this once and for all.

This last battle was but the start of something great. Once the army of the Dragorian Empire were defeated, they would march onto the heart of the Empire itself. Lord Trey would become the ruler of the world instead of Emperor Zinj. It was just a matter of time.

He was certain that once he succeeded in this battle, the rest of the Empire would easily fall into his hands. He would offer better terms of fealty to the vassal states if they switched allegiance to him. He wouldn't even have to invade. They would be eager to throw off the yoke of the oppressive Empire and join him willingly. He had planned it all perfectly.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Meanwhile, General Zhan and his elite troops were headed toward the final battle with Lord Trey. Almost 10,000 strong, they were – to employ an overused cliche – the best of the best. Personally selected and trained by the General himself.

They were also extremely loyal to not only the General, but to each other. This afforded them the uncanny ability to think and move as one with a preternatural precision and coordination as if they were of one mind and purpose. It was one of the things that made them so effective in battle. And so utterly terrifying to those they fought against.

They were known simply as the Lions, as General Zhan felt no need for pretentious titles or silly gimmicks. His corps' fearsome reputation was widespread. He didn't need to call them "The Doom Force" or "The Blood Spillers" or some other such nonsense. Anyone who had ever heard of them knew they meant death.

General Zhan felt no need for ostentatious displays either. His troops were not decked out in coordinating outfits with his signature colors of blue and gold. They did not ride into battle with feathers festooning their helmets or streamers on their epaulets. They did not decorate their weapons with ribbons in the colors of the Empire. He had to snicker at the ridiculousness of warriors' thus adorned riding into battle as though they had flags waving them forward in encouragement. His troops were known for their prowess, not their fashion sense.

However, he did understand the effectiveness of a powerful symbol. He understood that simply seeing his insignia emblazoned on his standard was enough to instill fear in all but the most battle-hardened soldiers. It could often lead to surrender without much effort upon his part by all but the most bloodthirsty or the most desperate soldiers. Anytime he could conserve his means' strength was a good thing. There was always another battle to fight.

The symbol of his legion was iconic. It was that of a rearing lion standing upright on its two hind legs with its claws extended and ready to strike. Although a lion was not an uncommon symbol of authority and power, this one was unique. Its mouth, which was opened in a terrifying roar, was breathing blue and gold fire between its large fangs. Its blue eyes blazed with supernatural ferocity. It had a full mane as blue as its eyes shot through with streaks of gold.

But those were not the most unusual characteristics of this formidable creature. From its back protruded a pair of glorious white wings edged in gold. It was as though an enormous white eagle had mated with a golden lion and produced a kind of mythological hybrid.

This icon was emblazoned on their standard as well as on a small insignia embroidered on their uniform over each soldier's left pectoral muscle. His soldiers wore it with pride knowing that they were members of an elite corps.

General Zhan led his troops to the plains of Kohld where they would join the Crown Prince's legion. Together they would face off against the vast army of Lord Trey and his generals.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The Crown Prince Daimon, only child of Emperor Zinj of the Dragorian Empire, was also marching towards the plains of Kohld. His troops bore the standard of the Empire itself – a horned silver serpent with wings upon a dark purple background.

Better known as the Beast for his ferocity, ruthlessness, and strength in battle, the Crown Prince was eager to finish this once and for all. He didn't know exactly why though, since his father would just send him out to conquer more kingdoms.

He smirked grimly at the thought of crushing that traitor, Lord Trey. He thought he was so clever. They let him conduct his intrigues unhindered as though they were unaware of what he was doing. It would make his humiliation that much more satisfying when they crushed his ambitions once and for all.

He was also looking forward to seeing General Zhan again. Zhan was his best, actually his only, friend. Daimon had some serious trust issues, which was not an uncommon problem for warriors, princes, or those who possessed unique and misunderstood abilities. And Daimon was all three of these types.

To satisfy his father's ever-increasing ambitions, both he and General Zhan had been hard at work expanding the borders of the Dragorian Empire. Most recently, Zhan had been crushing little uprisings that sprang up in various locations and quelling any disgruntled dissent amongst restless outposts. There had been no full-scale rebellions yet, just minor skirmishes. They barely caused a ripple in the Empire's power overall, but it was important to not let any of them get too cocky or ambitious.

It wasn't exactly good practice for elite troops such as his or Zhan's but it helped them stay sharp and focused. Too much downtime for a warrior was not a good thing. It made them sloppy and slow. It dulled their instincts and distracted them. On the other hand, too many fights against unskilled and uncoordinated foes weren't good for them either. It made them complacent. Both could lead to foolish mistakes and mass casualties.

Daimon's contemplations were interrupted by the arrival of Cordwen, one of his best scouts.

"Report."

"There are forces hidden along the canyons and the villages on the outskirts of our destination. They appear to want to funnel us through a chokepoint to Kohld. I believe they intend to surround us and cutoff any path of retreat once our group has joined with that of General Zhan's." he reported dutifully. He couldn't hide his contempt at such an obvious ruse. 'Did Lord Trey really think they would walk into so obvious a trap without having any contingency plans?' He smirked, eagerly anticipating the look on Lord Trey's face when he realized that his forces were the ones that were trapped, not the Empire's.

"Excellent. Anything else to report?" he inquired casually.

"General Zhan's forces are enroute to meet us at the designated time and the appointed location."

"Very good." Daimon nodded. "We'll arrive at our destination in 3 days' time."

Cordwen nodded.

"Get some food and rest. We will depart at dawn. Since Lord Trey has gone through all of this trouble to set a trap for us, it would be rude of us not to indulge him." He smirked.

Cordwen returned his smirk. "Yes, sir." He said departing the Prince's tent for the food tent. He was tired from his scouting mission, but he was also very eager for the final act to begin.

Daimon smiled to himself. Cordwen was easily his best scout. He was so skilled in his job that he had been appointed the leader of all the scouts. He would collect their reports, consolidate their information, summarize them, and present them to Daimon himself.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"The stage is set." Said Lord Trey smugly to the generals gathered in his tent that night to finalize plans for the upcoming battle. He could already taste victory. "Now we need only await the arrival of the other players in our little drama."

His generals laughed. They too, knew that their success was all but guaranteed.