Heroes

Finally Some Good News

This chapter is the longest one yet because the first section is mainly a battle between Coldhearts and Scalleti's.

Lizzy lay still. My "friend" lay dead at my own hand. I helped Jun to his feet.
"Rivio....we did the right thing. She betrayed us. I'm with you man, until the end."
"I just hope one day things can go back to normal."
"I'm sure they will. I just know it!"
Outside, Jun was hurried into an ambulance. He gave me a thumbs up as he was carried away on a stretcher. Aria ran over to me while the ambulance drove off.
"Rivio! What happened?"
"Aria, she was working with the Coldhearts all along. And they're coming. I don't know when, but they'll be here. They'll want revenge for Lizzy and her parents dying, and they were already planning to take us over. She was talking to some guy called Marcus? Know him?"
"Lizzy was a traitor? Damn....She probably was talking to Marcus Wesson, one of the rulers of the Coldhearts. I'll tell the guards to watch all sides of the town, and I'll also tell the civilians to stay inside or in basements for a while. We'll make it Rivio!"
"Of course we will Aria. We always do."
Security in the town tripled as we prepared for a Coldheart invasion. Jun was out of hospital in a few hours.
"So what's happening? We gonna crack some Coldheart heads?"
"Probably. Be ready at any time Jun!"
The first reports came from guards on the eastern side of town. They were coming.
Coldhearts fought with axes, swords, knifes and crossbows. They rarely used technology, and believed humans were made to be warriors. Rumours came from across the country that they recruited child soldiers and executed anyone with disabilities. So fucked up.
The guards reports said their forces consisted of about 3,000 men and women. We had 2,000 men surrounding the town. This would be a tough fight. Jun and I ran out to join the defence. Aria stayed back at headquarters, giving orders.
Bullets rang out from our guns as me Jun, and about 2,000 others fired at the invading Coldhearts.
The battle lasted two hours before we reached a bloody draw.
The Coldhearts had lost about 1,700 men, and we lost 1,200. The town itself was okay, hardly any damage was done. We'd lost too many men, and Aria gave us orders through our headsets.
"Propose peace terms! Negotiate with the Coldhearts!"
Jun threw me a megaphone, and I shouted to the scattered Coldheart troops.
"People of the Coldheart Kingdom! We are willing to negotiate peace terms!"
A rough man who was about 6 ft tall and had jet black hair stepped forward.
"Rivio Agani! My name is Marcus Wesson, the leader of the Coldhearts! I have a proposal for you! Fight me, and only me, and if you win, my men will retreat, but if I win, we will attack the town!"
Jun said to me, "Dude, the guy is like a walking tank. You don't have to do this, we can carry on fighting!"
I'd already made up my mind.
"No. I'll fight him. If I don't make it back...
"Shut up man! You're gonna make it back!"
So, with my heart pounding, I headed out to fight the leader of the Coldhearts.

The Scalleti forces were around the town, and the Coldhearts were approaching it.
"Rivio! You will fight me in this area!" He pointed to the space in-between the two armies. As I got closer, he threw me a sleek modern axe, with a Coldheart emblem. Marcus had one exactly the same. Jun was watching from not far behind.
The fight began and ended in ten hits.
My first hit caught Marucs by surprise and collided with his knee.
His attack caught my shoulder.
My second stab collided with his wrist.
Then I attacked again and hit his back.
"Rivio! You fight like a true Coldheart! You must join us!"
I ignored Marcus's shouting. He was slow and strong, but I was fast and weak.
He hit out at my foot and collided his axe with it.
I sliced at his chest, but missed.
He kicked me back.
Then I stabbed him in his upper arm.
He hit me square in the chest with his axe.
"Rivio! It appears I have....."
I interrupted his speech with an axe to the chest, right in his heart.
Then I collapsed, exhausted and wounded.

I woke in Lizzy's old house, which was now Aria's. Well, I was in the town, which meant the Coldhearts have retreated.
Wincing, I stood up and walked downstairs. The kitchen and living room were both empty. After a cold shower and quick breakfast, I dressed in a crimson hoodie and black jeans. Outside, people bustled around the streets, going to work or just looking at the shops. They still looked happy, which meant I was doing my job as leader right.
Aria was walking home slowly. She saw me stood out front.
"Rivio! I didn't know you were that good of a fighter!"
"That was one hell of a fight, wasn't it? Especially with a great warrior as myself taking down the bad guy!" I grinned.
"Shut up! I've got some good news though. The Coldhearts, we found some peace terms. They join forces with us, but they do all of the fighting in the battles."
"So the Coldhearts are our army now? We're at peace with them?"
"Yeah! They respect you, see you as a better warrior than their own leader, Marcus."
My plan for peace was coming together. The Scalleti's and Coldhearts had come together. Before the end of the year we might see peace. This was the best news I'd ever received!
"What can I say? I do have some fighting skills!"
Aria laughed, "Tonight, me, you and Jun are going to celebrate at some bar, Reyano's, I think? Be there at 7! See ya soon Rivio!
She winked at me as she walked away.
It felt good to just have a day off, to be able to relax.
I've wanted peace from the start. The Scalleti's and Coldhearts have stopped the war. Once the war is stopped entirely, we can focus on better things. People could be happy and at ease. But right now, I was gonna relax.
Jun and me went shopping for a few hours. We were in a café when Jun started talking to me.
"So Rivio, how's Aria?"
I smacked him and said, "Shut up! You looking forward to tonight?"
"You mean Reyano's? Hell yeah! We deserve this!"
"Right we do. We're halfway to bringing peace to the country!"
The rest of the day flew by in a blur. I watched some movie with Jun about some people that get stuck in a castle and one of them is a killer. We turned it off just when the castle exploded for some stupid reason. *REFERENCE*
Then I had to get ready for the night. I put on a white shirt and black jeans, while Jun was wearing a tuxedo.
I spent about twenty minutes laughing at him, while he sulked.
"What? This suit is cool! Gotta make a good impression!"
"Sure, Jun. Don't forget your tie!" I carried on chuckling while he stomped out of the room.
We headed to the bar at six thirty. Jun gave up on the suit and wore a green hoodie instead.
The bar itself was small. It was sleek and modern, with a glass bar stand on the right as you walked in. Seats were on the left, but we were upstairs, in the VIP lounge. Here I could forget the country's problems for a while. Aria ran over and hugged me when I walked in.
"Aria, you should have seen Jun. He wore....
"Dude, I thought you weren't gonna tell anyone!"
After I explained to Aria, a red-faced Jun headed straight to the bar. The three of us ordered drinks, and soon were ordering another round. Jun started talking to a blonde girl about halfway through the night. He was getting along well with her, but eventually he ended up saying the wrong thing.
The girl threw her drink over him and walked off. A now drenched Jun walked back to me and Aria. Aria asked him, "What did you say to her?"
"Don't even ask me. Ugh, my head hurts."
Aria started talking to me when Jun walked back over to the girl and tried to apologise.
"So Rivio, how much of a lightweight are you?"
"You challenging me, Aria Scalleti? Remember I'm the amazing fighter!"
"I'm challenging you to a drinking competition, not a fight to the death!"
We ordered the strongest drinks, round after round.

I woke up on the street outside the bar. It was early morning. I was propped up against the wall, my head was pounding and my eyes were stinging.
But I was happy. I felt a note in my pocket. Groaning, I pulled the paper out and read it.
I guess now we know who the lightweight is! Have fun sleeping in the street!
Yours truly,
Aria.