The Great War Begins

Chapter 1

A war begins

I stood there locked in a battle with man I had dreamed of killing many times over. It was harder in real life. He swung in a sweeping diagonal cut towards my abdomen. I caught it with my curved tribal sword. I twisted my sword hoping the curve would rip his sword free of his hands, a move I had perfected. He was ready for it he twisted his blade with mine pulling his sword free and throwing me off balance. He tried a quick short jab , that I barely managed to knock away. I was thrown back from the force of the blow though, I almost fell into another group of fighters.

It was then when the sounds of the battle that surrounded us flooded back to me. The loud clashing of steel the screams of the wounded and the dying. I looked around me to see how the battle was going. It was as I expected we were losing. The tribelands army was not large. At our largest we were 120,000 soldiers strong. We were not at our largest when we had arrived at the battle. Who we had arrived we had 90,000. Meanwhile the Keriathan army had stood 300,000 strong when they had arrived.

It was a lost cause, I knew it and the tribal leaders knew it. Yet they had decided to send me and my men out as a sacrifice. Damn them all to the Great Barren. We were losing men left and right, there was no way we could win this. So I had thought up a plan to kill their general in hopes to demoralize them. That's what I was doing.

I looked back at the general, the great Keriathan general Tumar. He walked towards me. He had a smug smile on his face as if he already knew he had won. But he hadn't. I rushed at him slashing my blade in a downward arc. He caught my blade on his with a loud ringing. That when I did it. I ripped a large knife from a sheath at my hip and slashed him from left hip to right shoulder. It was deep enough to kill, but it was deep enough. His muscles loosened on his sword a bit and I twisted mine ripping his sword free of his hands. Then I cut straight back down the cut I had just made. I watched as his eyes widened before the top third of his body collapsed from the other two thirds.

I looked around hoping to see the rest of the soldiers flee. But I had no such luck. So I did the one thing I had never wanted to have to do. I turned and shouted,

"Turn back 300 feet make a wall. Drop the signal." To my men. I watched as my men fell back to what we could guess is probably more 500 feet. It didn't matter the farther was probably better. It was as I thought the Keriathan soldiers rallied into a shield wall again as we fell back. One thing the Keriathans hadn't prepared for was the battlefield. We were currently fighting on Sintarka, the valley of fire. It was well known for its geysers of fire. These geysers had been blocked off by blacksmiths who used the fire to forge underground. I had accounted for this. The signal was a large torch we would drop in the cave entrance. When signaled the smiths were supposed to unblock the geysers. This, in effect would cause fire to shoot up and scorch the enemy force.

After our retreat we were at the very edge of the valley. I stood there waiting for the geysers to go off as the enemy gathered their force together for another attack. I waited and waited as they got more and more organized. I watched fearing the signal hadn't been sent or that the Keriathans had taken the forges. And then right as their lines had gathered together to attack, the geysers erupted and I saw something I will never forget.

The fire bursting forth into their forces. The screams as they were burnt to a crisp. The men throwing themselves to the ground. The twitching as they died. The smell of crisp burnt flesh thick in the air. I watched as the men turned and ran to try to escape the valley only to get hit by another geyser.

Eventually they made it out on the other side. But they had left at least a 100,000 soldiers in the valley if I had to guess. I signaled them to put out the torch and block the geysers. I prepared to command a charge when I saw that a small group had emerged and were waving a white flag. I asked for my commanders to be sent to me and issued orders to my second.

"You stay here and be prepared to fight in case we can't come to an agreement. I'll be taking commanders Kakara and Di'thar, as well as a small group of guards." I told him.

"Yes Sahkar." Replied Tehan, my good friend and loyal second.

"That's commander to you general Tehan." I told him in a joking tone. We both had a little laugh before I turned and walked to the group I had asked for. I surveyed the group to make sure we had everything: the flag that signaled we accepted the surrender, a small table, paper, and ink. Just in case we needed a written agreement. After I made sure we had everything we needed I nodded towards the field where the Keriathans had set up. I listened as they lifted the flag and it started to flap in the warm west wind. We walked to the middle of the hot and in some places burning field and walked up to the brand new general. He was a middle aged man he had some grey hair and a beard. I switched to the Keriathan language.

"I am supreme commander Sahkar. And you are?" I questioned while sticking out my hand.

"I am newly appointed general Julianus." He answered while we shook hands.

"I assume we are here to negotiate your terms of surrender." He opened his mouth to reply but I kept going. "I have a offer. You will sign a treaty stating that the Keriathan army will not attack the tribelands or cross the border in any way for three years."

"I'm not sure I have that kind of authority." He said surprised. "Do you even have the authority to do that at your age?" He was referring to the fact that I was only 18. "What is your age?" He kept going.

"My age does not matter. What matters is that I do have the authority to sign this treaty as supreme commander of the army of the tribelands and from my studies you also have the power. So will you sign the treaty or shall I continue the battle?" I clipped off angry at him for attempting to change the subject.

"I will sign the treaty." He said obviously startled for my sudden change of pace. I motioned for them to bring the table out while I unfolded the treaty that I had written myself. After they put the table down I set down the treaty grabbed a pen and signed my name. I then turned the paper around and pushed it towards him offering my pen. Without even reading it over he grabbed the pen and signed it. He then prepared to give it back but I pushed it towards him.

"That copy is for you to take to your superiors so they don't break the treaty." I explained. "This one is for us." I said as I pulled out a second copy. We prepared the process we had used on the first. Then after we had finished he handed it back to me and told me.

"You realize we will probably meet here again in three years. You will not be victorious again." I looked up and stared straight into his eyes and replied.

"And Ill do the same thing I did to your general today." I paused. "I will find you and I will kill you, just so that you can't enjoy your victory.

Three years later

Chapter 2

A second beginning