Who Is Vyan?

At a village in Haberland, across the Ganlop borders of Haynes.

The battlefield was a nightmarish landscape of smoke and fire, a place where the line between life and death blurred with each passing moment. 

The acrid scent of burning houses and bodies hung heavily in the air, assaulting the senses of those who fought on. Honestly, it smelled worse than a dragon's breath after a chili festival.

Just like all the other soldiers, Iyana's face was etched with exhaustion, her uniform caked with mud and blood. Yet, her limbs showed no sign of fatigue as she dispatched enemy soldiers. It was almost therapeutic, if one had a very twisted sense of therapy.

The sword in her hand reflected the blood running down her face. For a brief moment, she wondered how many she had killed so far. She had lost count. 

Was it ten? Twenty? Fifty? Who knew? At this point, her kill count was probably higher than the population of a small village.

"Just a little bit longer, and this will be over," she muttered to herself, her blade claiming another unfortunate soul.

Once the last soldier guarding the commander's tent was down, Iyana stepped inside, only to find the enemy commander already with his hands in the air, looking more desperate than a cat in a dog kennel.

"I surrender," he cried out, "But please spare my life. Take me hostage instead."

"No," her voice was resolute, like a teacher denying a student's request for extra credit after missing all their homework. "You played dirty by trying to poison our commander, and now, you will pay for it."

The commander winced, "But it was just a little poison! He didn't even die!"

"Tell that to the guy who is in a wheelchair now," she shot back.

While it hadn't been necessary for higher-ranking officers to join the war at first, as the situation escalated far beyond what was expected, an official decree was announced for them to join six months ago. 

Due to Haynes' military commander being poisoned two months ago at their base in a village in Ganlop, Haberland had hoped it would bring them victory. 

But that was the mistake that brought them doom.

Unbeknownst to them, Iyana had unofficially taken on command as Commander Pembrooke fell sick to the poison. Her methods were more polished and well-thought-out than Commander Pembrooke's, who sacrificed soldiers' lives on a whim like they were pieces in a bloody game of chess.

While Haberland had been on the winning side back then, the tide of the war turned around completely with Iyana taking charge. 

"But still, you should consider taking a high personnel like me hostage—"

"Maybe the news didn't reach you," Iyana said, and the enemy commander gave her a confused look. "Princess Maria is already in our captivity."

"What? That's impossible. I told them to get the princess to escape!"

"Well, too bad. The princess isn't a coward like you. She fought with everything before I took her down."

"But—"

"Okay, enough chatting, Commander Irvine. My comrades are waiting outside for me to bring your head to them," Iyana declared, stepping toward him. 

Commander Irvine cowered back in fear. 

"So, what is it going to be?" she asked, leveling her sword at the commander's throat. "A dignified defeat or the kind where you cry and beg? Personally, I enjoy both."

He gulped, sweat trickling down his face. "I-I will take dignified."

"Good choice," she smirked, her eyes narrowing. "Now, let's finish this wad. And in your next life, try winning without the underhanded tricks. It's more fun to fight honestly."

Hearing that, he stopped backing away and closed his eyes, resigning to his fate. "Since I am to have an honorable death, let me admit to you that we didn't poi—"

As her blade found its mark, Commander Irvine crumpled to the ground, his confession unfinished. 

"I don't want to hear anymore." More blood splattered on Iyana's face, and she smiled in relief, wiping some of it away with a casual swipe.

"It's over now. I can return home to…" Her head became blank. 

"To whom?" she mumbled in confusion. "What am I even thinking right now? Everyone is waiting outside." She shook her head, dispelling the fog of uncertainty, and walked out of the tent with the enemy commander's head held high.

The soldiers of Haynes outside erupted in cheers as soon as they saw her.

"Feast tonight, Vice-Commander?" one of them asked with eager eyes, practically drooling at the thought.

Iyana laughed, a sound filled with both relief and exhaustion. "Yes, feast tonight, everyone! And bring out the good stuff, none of that watered-down swill!"

The soldiers cheered louder, their spirits lifting with the promise of food and drink. 

For now, the war was a distant nightmare, and the night was theirs to claim.

———

"Vice-Commander, you should be our commander, you know?" slurred one of the drunken soldiers named Terrence, barely managing to stay upright.

Iyana chuckled, shaking her head. "I can't. Not until I can achieve aura."

"This requirement is so stupid," cursed Elijah. "It's even stupider how you haven't achieved aura yet. I am pretty sure you can take on Commander Pembrooke in your sleep."

"Watch how they don't dismiss the commander even after his legs stop working from the poisoning," Terrence joked, swaying dangerously close to falling over.

"How will they? No one from the Order of Aura Knights would volunteer to leave their cushy title and actually do some work," Melissa added with a snort.

"Yes. All they ever do is sit around protecting the emperor. Like anyone would dare harm him," Elijah rolled his eyes. "The peasants need more protection than the emperor."

"Hey, you should lower your voice. What if anyone else hears you?" Iyana scolded, though she couldn't suppress a grin. "You guys really have no sense—"

"Speaking of sense," Elijah interjected, pulling a crumpled envelope from his pocket. "Sorry, Vice-Commander, this letter came for you a week ago, and I have been carrying it around, forgetting to give it to you."

Iyana blinked and put her glass down. 

She fumbled with the letter, her fingers not quite cooperating. Once she got it out, she squinted at the paper, trying to decipher it through her blurry vision.

Melissa sighed and took the letter from her. "I will read it aloud for you. You have had too much to drink, Vice-Commander."

"Thanks," Iyana mumbled, leaning back with a hiccup.

Melissa cleared her throat dramatically and started, "Dear Vice-Commander Iyana, we regret to inform you… that your request for a pet dragon has been denied."

The group burst into laughter, and Iyana chided, "That's not what it says!"

Melissa grinned and continued. "Fine, fine. It actually says… My dear daughter Iyana," she stated, holding the letter with a dramatic flair, "I hope you have been doing well out on the battlefield. I want to let you know that I am proud of what you are doing. Please don't take too much risk and get too close to danger. Maintain a safe distance, okay?"

"Maintain a safe distance…" Terrence burst out laughing. "The Marquess will have a cardiac arrest if he learns that the Vice-Commander directly charges the enemies like a fearless demon."

Melissa stifled her laugh and continued, "You need to make a safe and sound return. You are our family's gem, after all. It is a matter of great misfortune that when you return, I cannot welcome you in our grand manor anymore. Because half of it has burned to the ground by an unfortunate accident."

Iyana let out a small gasp.

"I would like to have it repaired, but we cannot due to the Grand Duke's conspiracies. Since you are out on the battlefield, I doubt the news of the new Grand Duke's ascension reached you. Do you know who he is? It's Vyan."

"Who is Vyan?" Terrence asked, scratching his head.

Iyana made a thoughtful face, then started whacking her head with her palm. "Who is Vyan?" she muttered, staring down at the table, frustrated at being unable to remember the face of that person. "I don't know…"

Elijah smacked Terrence in the head. "Are you an idiot? Did you forget that the Vice-Commander lost all her memories a year ago?"

"Oh, right, right," Terrence responded sheepishly.

Iyana became a little downcast at the reminder.

"Maybe I should continue reading," Melissa said, clearing her throat. "Can you believe it? The boy who used to be your personal escort is actually the Grand Duke now?"

"I had a personal escort?" Iyana let out, eyebrows raised.

"Well, of course, you are a noble lady. I am sure you had one before you joined the military," Elijah explained, and Iyana nodded in understanding. "Though it's absolutely crazy to imagine someone like you needed another knight to protect you."

"I cannot imagine either," Iyana laughed lightly. "I wonder what Vyan was like," she mumbled, a curious look in her eyes.

"Probably a saint to put up with you," Melissa teased, earning a round of chuckles from the group.

"Maybe," Iyana smiled, her mood lifting a bit. "Let's hope he is doing a better job remembering me than I did."

Elijah grinned. "Well, with your memory or without it, you are still the best Vice-Commander we have got."

"Cheers to that!" Terrence raised his mug, sloshing drinks over the rim, and the group joined in, laughing and clinking their drinks together.

———

In a dark room with only one candle lit.

"It's too painful. I cannot go on like this," whispered a broken voice.

"Then, do you really want to forget him?" asked a scratchy, deep voice.

A tear slipped out her violet eye. "Yes. I do."