TBATE | The Brightest Light and The Darkest Night [Discontinued]

A Test of Strength

||Meliquis Zephyra||

"You're right, something's off." I replied to Shultz leaning forward from my chair and placing my hands on the table.

"Now" Fauvim went on, "Like I said, we may not know much of Alcrya but what we do know is that they have a massive army. It's obvious from the start that this is a tactical retreat, they know about our limited manpower. I mean, they had spies implanted in our backs!" 

I shot him a glare and quickly glanced at the map again. Predicting where they would attack would be very difficult, but their objectives would be sound. If I were the enemy what would be my goal?

"Do you think our plan would work out?" He asked me keeping his straight face intact. But I can sense doubt in him, we all have doubts within us. We prevented countless uprisings by using mind games, I'm probably sure the people are fed up with the lies we're chugging them down with. 

Winning the war would not only mean the abolishment of the enemy in our lands, but winning the war would win our people back.

"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." I replied taking a sip of wine from a glass.

"They're probably expecting us to relive Etitsin. Both sides know how important that city is, they'll taunt us - besieging the city and making it a useful bait. They won't move unless we do, but if we don't they would probably storm the city anyways."

"So, Varay Aurae's plan is nothing but a fluke?" Orcrad suggested. 

"No, only parts of it. That's why we made the plan modular so that if any circumstance comes, we'll be able to adapt to it in some way." I answered back tapping my fingers on the table.

I quickly turned my attention to Shultz who was about to say something, "That boy Arthur, I sense that he isn't your ordinary lance. They're just puppets, not tacticians. No offense to Aurae but he seems more of a capable leader than she is." 

"How so?" Orcrad asked with a gesture in his hands.

". . ." He only answered with a blank stare but a confident poise. If there was one thing Shultz was credible for, it was his gut to spot someone with potential.

"We should get going. The meeting will start soon, it's already the third day of planning on what to do next." Orcrad said standing up.

"Very well, this meeting us three have is adjourned. See to it that this will also be discussed later on." I replied standing up as well.

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||Arthur Leywin||

I continue to walk at the cold valley near Shidj, corpses littering the ground I stood and soaking the soil with Alcryan blood.

"These men haven't been given a proper burial. But its not like we can send them off to Alcrya though." I said as I walk and inspected the bodies on countless soldiers.

"Arthur Leywin, showing emotion to the enemy? Mika is very intrigued." Her eyes glimmering with interest.

"These men are soldiers. They did what they do and are ordered to do, these men didn't loathe us rather they love those they left behind. Young men are shipped of the war to die for old men, no matter how good war might be it will be forever unnecessary and cruel. They died for their country just like how we offer our life to ours, its only proper we respect them too." I replied with dead eyes and a cold tone.

Mika shivered at my sentiment, I wasn't like this until I saw what they were like on the other side. There was no difference, they're all human, lessers, slaves to the so called deities. When I acknowledged that I found it a bit harder to kill, something I didn't have trouble before. Staring at their eyes filled with horror and grief as they realize they will never return home to their families again, it placed a scar in my soul.

You think they think the same as us? Regis asked me mentally as he continued to chomp on beast cores.

"We better clean this up then." Sylvie said stretching out her hands.

"The dilemma is getting to you. Mika thinks you need to remember what we're fighting for, but Mika also wonders if this is all worth it." 

I saw her lean down at a dead corpse, her face filled with horror and I turned to see what caused her to have such a reaction. 

Upon seeing such a sight I too was overcome with the same feeling.

A boy, not older than the age of fourteen. His eyes were nowhere to be seen and his face as grey as ash with his skin sticking to his skull indicating that he was drained of life force. He clutched a photo of a woman, her mother perhaps?

I turned as quickly as I saw the body and recommended Mika to do so. She's been alone for months behind enemy lines, I'm surprised she still has her character intact and did not become a cold monster.

Maybe it's her resolve and optimism that allowed her to retain her former self. I will never know.

I tapped her shoulder from behind and she turned her head towards me.

"Mika, don't let these thoughts overcome you. The dilemma caused by war has scarred many soldiers, even the strongest ones. I may not be in the position to say this, but keep your head up as always. Its kill or be killed in here, only the dead have seen the end of war. So don't think of it as killing them, but rather ending their suffering from this world."

"Kind of dark, but Mika understands what you say." She said smiling only slightly.

It took awhile but with the help of earth magic we got to bury the six thousand Alcryans we slaughtered on that day, it was unnecessary but it was a deed that needed to be done.

You've grown quite different papa, I hear Sylvie say through my mind as she walked by my right.

Looks like I did. Things will be messier from here on out, ok Sylv?

You've got it. She replied with full resolve.

As we were walking towards the town of Col just south of Shidj a right from my right hand glowed bright despite it being black.

The artifact me and Seris have to stay in contact with each other.

Seris? I ask of her presence in my mind

Its Tessia, her body is slowly stabilizing now. But we're going to have a problem now. Her voice showing hints of tension.

What is it? I asked, a small hint of fear began to grow in me

She has two souls in her body as we speak. It says in the books we stole from Agrona that messing with a vessel is a tricky thing to do, we don't want to risk any damage to her because the state of the situation, to put it in simpler terms, is like me fishing for a specific fish but I have only one shot and a flimsy boat. I catch the wrong one and problems will arise.

Her tone now serious and stern.

So there's only one thing left to do now? I ask biting my right thumbnail

She was silent for a while before speaking again, maybe out of the motive that she didn't want to worry me too much. But before she replied she gave a sigh...

Yes, we'll have to let the two deal with it.

I see... A swirl of thoughts conquered my mind that I stopped dead on track. Everyone in the group except Mika knew the context of the situation and she looked back and forth at me and Sylvie.

Then suddenly another artifact hummed brightly, the ring used to summon all of the general staff. I looked down on the ring and a bead of sweat formed rolled in my left cheek.

"What is it?" Mika asked confused at what just unfolded.

"Its something serious, come with me. We'll see Virion himself." I looked up and answered Mika.

The edges of my eyes and parts of my shoulder became dragon scales and everything in my eyes except my golden pupils turned black.

Mika looked at me surprised but I ignored her.

A portal condensed right in front of us. I've been practicing on expanding my insight on Spatium with the help of the mental book, which improved and removed some of my bad habits when casting spells and cleared some misconceptions I have with aether as a whole.

"After you, milady." I said bowing

"Mika is grateful for the gentlemanly behavior." Her face perked up with a smile and a small laugh.

Without hesitation she stepped right in to the portal followed by Sylvie, then me.