Betrayal: Eret's POV

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He wiped the sweat and dust from his brow. The view from on top of the walls was beautiful. Eret could just see the ocean in the distance behind the mysterious bushy treetops, making for a picture perfect scene. He had just finished building up the blackstone wall that surrounded the lake.

Below, the people were hurrying around while being watched by the leader of this measly country. He thought Will was kidding when he said he wanted to make this place an independent faction, separate from the rest of the land. They only had a van and a couple of tiny huts to call their own, let alone the power to stop an entire nation from tearing down their walls.

But Will's determination had always been strong. The pair had known each other for only a year but it was long enough for Eret to realise Will's strength and charisma. He was fairly peaceful, opting for his men to never wear armour and only resort to violence if necessary. His only goal was to make this country of L'manberg separate. Eret on the other hand was nervous and weary of the battles ahead but he would never let that show. He kept his expression calm, despite his eyes going wild under the dark glasses he always wore.

Eret slipped down the ladder and landed on the soft grass. Without the panicked people rushing around gathering supplies, the place would have been strangely peaceful. A bordered off part of the world that no one could ever touch. The redwood trees would remain undisturbed and the lake water would still be crystal clear. He wondered about Will's plans for this place. Would it continue to be a half-built mess or be transformed into a sanctuary for his daughter.

His thoughts were interrupted by a shout and some quick footsteps that hurried up to meet him. Flower stopped just short of crashing into the man and grinned up at him.

"Eret! Do you like my hair! Dad just cut it for me!"

Her ginger locks fell just short of her shoulders and stuck out in fluffy bursts. Eret laughed and ruffled her hair, feeling her soft, fox-like ears lay back to avoid his hand. She was wearing a light blue version of the darker uniform the rest of the citizens adorned with pride and excitement about their future. Eret looked up to see Will smiling softly at the pair from atop his van. Eret waved at him. He wished things would never change.

Eret coughed from the smoke.There were flames everywhere. The land outside the walls had been blown to smithereens. The new country was at the mercy of the greater government, soldiers standing atop a tower, firing arrows down upon the L'manbergians. Tommy, a younger soldier, yelled for everyone to follow and led them away from their land and into the dugout walls of his home in the side of a hill. They sheltered from the raining arrows and Eret thought he heard someone beside him cry.

"This is not the time to cower in fear!" called Will. "The battle has just begun and there's a long way to go yet before I'm willing to surrender."

Tommy got to his feet and rummaged around in his belongings until he found a bow. It looked like it could break within seconds but it was all they had. Tommy loaded an arrow, darted around the doorway and shot it right into the tower. The government retaliated with more fire, the burning tongues creeping slowly toward the house. Tommy kept firing again and again until there was a hit. Eret heard a shout from the tower and cautiously peered around the corner. He spotted two soldiers slinking away, an arrow in one's arm.

He grinned and slumped back down onto the stone floor. Another shout and the sound of heavy boots hitting the ground. Tommy cheered and Eret watched as the government soldiers ran away from the tower and leaped down into the trees. Tommy shouted curses after them and they all watched as they headed toward the great stone castle in the distance.

The first battle was won only hours before. The sun was dipping behind the hills, colouring the sky in a dusty orange. It complemented the smoke well. Eret had received a letter right before the battle had begun, calling him to a meeting on the main road near the castle. He fiddled with the buttons on his long coat as a man appeared around the corner. Their conversation was brief. The man offered great things and Eret was intrigued. But in return for riches the man required something of Eret. Something terrible.

The L'manbergians returned from their second battle bloodied and bruised. It hadn't been as successful as the first. Eret was the least injured of all but still collected his fair share of cuts, a particularly deep one running across his shoulder from the blade on an enemy soldier. The younger people slumped onto the ground as Flower ran around them gathering their stained weapons and dumping them in buckets of lake water. She'd begun to wear dresses less and less, her hair slowly became a mess of curls on top of her skull as she cut it even shorter.

For the first time in forever, Will looked defeated. He sat on a fallen redwood branch with his head in his hands. Eret marched over to him and placed a hand solemnly on his shoulder.

"I have something I need to tell you," he said. A couple of nearby heads looked up and he continued. "I've been working on a weapon that I need to show you all. I believe it will help end this war."

Will shuffled his feet. "What could help us, a couple of untrained soldiers, fight against the world? I know we need to win this but don't think we can."

"I disagree," A voice from the small crowd called. Flower. She walked forward, a wooden sword in her hands. She was only ten but had a heart of gold like her father.

"I want this place to become in-de-pen-dint so we're going to need this weapon thing. Go and see what it is, Dad."

Will look at her, surprised. She'd never been this demanding with him. He slowly got to his feet and nodded at Eret. "Lead us there."

Eret headed toward the wall and moved a large brick aside. Then another, revealing a doorway that stretched deep into the earth. He'd only had a week to prepare this so he hoped it would work according to plan. The people trailed after him and he crept through the narrow stone hallway. Finally dim light shone at the end of the tunnel and he moved a growth of vines aside to reveal a blackstone room, exactly the same material that made the walls.

It was long and narrow with chests on either side, labeled with the names of each member of the new country. In the middle of the room was a stone button atop a small pillar. Eret stood in front of it while everyone else hurried to their chests, opening them to find food and weapons. Eret's smile faltered as he looked around at everyone's faces. He'd grown so close to them over these past months. It was almost a shame that it would have to come to an end.

Just as Will raised his head to question Eret as to where he'd found these supplies, they made eye-contact. Eret pushed his hand down on the button with a sour expression, not breaking his stare. With a loud crack, the walls crumbled around their feet and soldiers poured out of tunnels leading into the room. Tommy yelled and scrambled toward the door, arms full with bread and apples. A few others followed but were cut off by the soldiers, swords trapped under their chins.

Will just stared at Eret, mouth hanging open in disbelief. He stood and made his way toward his friend, absent-mindedly avoiding the chaos around him. His only focus was on Eret. He drew a shining metal blade from his belt and raised it above his head. But just as he was about to strike, rough hands grabbed him from behind, ripping the sword from his clasp and pushing him to the floor. Another two snatched under his arms and dragged him toward the tunnels. Eret didn't smile. He didn't enjoy seeing this happen But he remembered what he was promised so it was all worth it.

"Down with the revolution, boys. It was never meant to be."

The castle was cold and empty. Though it was much nicer than that joke of a country, L'childberg. But he often thought of Will. And Tommy. And especially Flower. He'd heard news of the kid wanting to visit now and then but they of course were denied. He'd cut all ties from his previous life. In the end, the country had gained their independence, but it was nothing compared to how Eret lived now. He was happy. Yeah.

Happy.

Either way, nothing could ever touch him now that he was king.