Heavy is the Head that Wears the Solemn Crown

Thirty-Seven - Sacrificing the Lion

Tommy

Tommy wears golden armaments over a red bodysuit as he stands on the frontlines of the war effort. The sky is a deep, murky blue dotted with a few clouds. The sun is a few hours away from descending below the horizon. A large plain composed mainly of ankle-length grass and a handful of trees stretches out in front of him from the bottom of the hill he's strategically positioned on. The rest of Pogtopia's division is currently gathering their weapons, getting into their individual positions. Leaders call out commands to the varying subdivisions, making sure that every soldier knows what they are meant to do and that no one has deserted their post due to the building army across the field. Manberg's forces looked more like a discolored blur on the horizon than a massive opposing force, but anyone with a fresh pair of eyes knew that a blur of that size equated with over a thousand bloodthirsty people.

Kristin walks up to stand right beside Tommy. She's wearing black armor with a purple sash tied around her waist. She has removed her gloves, and her hands lie precariously at her side. With any wrong touch, she could destroy the ground around them or kill a man. Tommy's presence will mitigate a lot of the damage if an accident does happen, though. His gloves were also removed. They were currently in his back pocket. He was certain they wouldn't remain there for long, but he had another pair in his tent. If he lost those as well, he knew that Kristin had an abundance of specially made gloves. She would be upset with him, but she wouldn't keep him from stealing a set from her.

Another presence appears at Tommy's other side. Boomer is wearing silver armor that shines with a white sheen in the sunlight. A helmet with a green plume protects his head, but the metal visor is flicked upwards to allow others to see his face. His worried green eyes search the land in front of him, searching for signs of his sister among the enemy forces. His grip clenches around the large shield he is holding. The shield is white like his outfit, and it bears the green image of a leaping frog. It is the symbol of Boomer's knighthood when he became the White Knight of Anura. He wields a dagger with his shield, but the defending device is his main weapon.

Fran, the wolf-dog right resting on her haunches between Tommy and Boomer, uses her teeth and claws to take down the enemy. There is something intrinsically supernatural about her impenetrable white mane and her knowledgeable black eyes. A single look at the wild pet reveals that she is a highly intelligent creature. Although she does not possess the ability to speak any of the known languages, she knows how to make her will known to the people around her. She also knows how to inspire fear in the enemy. She's incredibly sweet and docile to her allies, particularly her master, but Tommy has seen Fran attack training dummies and animals that tried to steal from the camp. Fran wasn't afraid of anything- not even horses and drakes.

Fran's master joined the small line last. Grand Duke Samual Dude of the Badlands was wearing his bronze-gold armor. His mask was clicked in front of his face. He held a pale blue trident in one of his gloved hands. His velvet green cape was decorated with his personal symbol of the Creeper, a creature from legend that could explode when it grew emotional. Fran leaned her head against Sam's knee, looking awfully cute for someone about to tear the enemy apart at her leader's command. Boomer also looked at his father, worry swimming in his shadowed eyes.

"Attack!" Sam screams, his voice deep and booming as it thunders across the deadly silent plains. Before he can finish, trumpets begin to blare just as powerfully. The soldiers scream a resounding battle cry as they march forward. The army picks up speed as it continues moving forward. In the distance, the opposing army becomes more defined as they rush to meet Pogtopia. For a single second, the battlefield consists primarily of metal clinking together as two armies rush towards each other. The second ends the moment the first soldier of Pogtopia and the first soldier of Manberg cross blades. Soon, everyone is fighting against someone. Screams of pain and fury and hope and despair rise into the air as blobs of dark blue and steely gray clash together.