A Quiet Morning For a War

"Regiment 3, Regiment 6, and Regiment 7, It is your watch this morning! Get up!"

A shout rang out through the echoing halls of old stone.

Waking up I stumble off of my cot, weary and tired, prepared for another day of Veylum hi Varga. Looking around, I see that my comrades are also in the same state of disarray that I find myself in.

I hear the shout again, further away this time, but still echoing through the forlorn halls. I begin my duty.

"Third regiment! Don your equipment and to arms! Be quick about it too!"

"Aye commander!"

A wholehearted chorus of ascent follows my command. Each sleeping dwarf noticeably perks up and scrambles to gather there carelessly stashed equipment.

Noisy minutes passed as rangers donned boiled leather breastplates and greaves, warriors buckled on rusted and bloodied swords, and mages prepared necessary spell stones to aid in repairing the stronghold's fortifications.

Soon, however, each dwarf stood lined up along the walls facing their commander, me, at the head of their ranks.

Here I issued another command.

"We will be briefed on the field use your judgement until the time when I give proper orders. Do you understand!"

"Aye commander!"

"Then may the Old Ones strengthen our minds and spirits to that of the solid lands they birthed and may we too listen for their guidance."

-Boom-

As one, the fifty dwarves in my regiment stomped their right foot on the ground. Their already straightened backs stood taller.

I only nodded my ascent and led the regiment to their deaths.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The old halls were empty. Well, empty compared to before. Before, the halls were bustling with armored regiments, jovially conducting duties required from their country.

Now, I could only see silent ghosts trudging where my comrades once marched. I could only comprehend their words that were so gleeful. Each entity was almost skipping in national pride, anticipating a quick end to the war.

I turned towards one such illusion and read the silence.

"Did you hear? The... are calling this... the new beginning."

I almost laughed aloud.

The Year Zero, the new beginning. For dwarves, this year signified a resurgence in our power. We could finally take back the resources that the human nation seized from us.

Yes, that was how we saw it. It's been 52 years since then.

"How naive of us."

"Your orders commander?"

"Nothing Vyen."

"Just thinking aloud a bit."

To that, Vyen grinned. A despondent grin that is, not a happy one.

"Aye commander."

I assumed he saw through me, but, even if he didn't know me, their wasn't much else on peoples minds but the past now.

Soon though, the barren stone passages fed into a vaulted room filled with grandiose pillars and arches. The vaulting ceiling, some swore, was high enough to touch the firmament. Others called it the gateway to the Old Ones. My regiment, called it what we lost.

I didn't bother looking over my shoulder at my men, for I knew that they were of the same opinion. Back straight, feet moving, and eyes... wherever the pillars don't stand tall.

Even trudging like this, the weight of our humiliation weighed down upon us all. Each step seemed heavier and heavier for me to bear. The atmosphere from minutes before flitted away like a passing dream.

The battlements came into view next. Illusionary people loaded the wreckage of a ballista and prepared to lay fire upon the enemy. I led my squad up the stairs and onto our designated section.

There, each man split off from our militaristic line to accomplish menial preparations or ready their souls for whatever would come.

I set off for the communication tower to report our arrival to the higher ups. Vyen followed closely behind me, more out of habit than any official duty. I appreciated the company though, even if a smile never managed to grace my face in the end. At least company could pull my mind off of what we had lost already.

"Vyen, do you think we'll be able to survive through this war?"

Unfortunately, companionship failed and my mental fears turned verbal.

Vyen remained silent for a minute, seemingly lost in thought. Then he smiled.

"Say Mearan, when did you become a philosopher? Hahaha!"

"What's so funny?"

With great effort, Vyen suppressed the laughter at the joke only he could understand and began to speak again.

"Well, to be honest I can't blame you for being all philosophical right now. I guess we all turned into philosophers in our own way now."

"So?"

"So what?"

"You avoided my question."

"Ah that."

"You know, as a friend speaking to another friend, I don't know if we will survive this war. I just don't know."

I turned away from him and lifted the heavy handle leading into the communications tower.

The room was as dusty as always. And, as barren as the rest of the fortress. Mechanically, I walked towards the center of the small circular room. Like always, a small pedestal with a complex magical engram stood starkly in the center. The soft glow of lanterns from the previous night shift still lit the room in their melancholy lights.

I placed my hands onto the engram and began a quick chant.

"Oh Varad of the sky. Heed my call and grant me your divine oath. Sever the connection of both space and time. Grant me your guidance and allow me your light."

As the spell finished, a radiant white light surrounded my being and filled me with energy. Slowly, I began to mold that energy into a small circle within my chest and circulated it there. A soft humming resonated within me and I slowly guided the circulating energy pool through my arms, out my hand, and into the magic engram.

White light burst forth from the inlaid magic circle, basking the room in a brilliant glow for only a moment. Then, the light subsided into a gentle image floating above the magic circle.

"Commander Mearan reporting the successful deployment of Regiment 3. No enemy signs within the first sector. Please give us your orders your majesty."

Indeed, the image displayed the dwarven king, a legend in his own right.

"Oh come on Mearan, no need to be so uptight and prompt. It makes it seem like you don't want to talk to me. Hello Vyen, it's certainly been awhile."

"Haha that it has been King Karriod. I missed you yesterday due to some unforeseen duties that I had to avoid. I hope that you understand."

Vyen grinned mischievously before bowing fluidly.

"Haha! You never change Vyen, avoiding work and being a battle fanatic. I guess the only other redeeming quality you have is how much you like to..."

"Ahem."

Karriod broke off midsentence to glance towards me before sighing.

"Alright fine. This morning your mission is to assemble your squad into a patrol force of thirty elites to scout for enemy movement. Scout towards the eastern sector for advance parties and retreat upon any signs of a threat. Begin your retreat with the noonday sun and report directly to me. Understood?"

"Understood your majesty."

"Then you are dismissed."

My fist struck my chest as my heels flew together making a satisfying thump and click respectively. Then the magic circle flickered off as the image crumbled into droplets of seemingly molten light.

With that, a new day had officially begun.