Love Of War

Prologue

"Yah!" I shouted, lunging forward.
I parried an incoming block and quickly stabbed at his chest, getting in a hit that buried my sword in his chest.
A clap of hands emerged from behind me.
"Well done," a familiar voice said. "That training dummy didn't stand a chance."
I whirled around to face Landge, who was still walking up to me over the green hills. He was coming from the fortress.
"They never do," I said, smirking.
Landge, my third in command, was the closest thing to a friend that I had. But calling it a friendship would be an overstatement. War aquaintances would be more fitting.
Landge walked up to me as I sheethed my sword by my side and wiped my long red hair out of my face.
"Marshal Athelis," he started, looking at me seriously. "Gunterius has... retired. He left this morning to head back to Creye."
I sighed, kicking at the grass.
Retirement was a strange occasion. It had to do with "love" and "soulmates" and all of that.
There is always one person in the world who you cannot physically harm, no matter what you do. That person is your soulmate. It is then meant for you to be together forever or whatnot. People usually go into retirement when they have found such a person, going home to start a family.
This has luckily not happened to me. I was still a marshal, commanding a squadron of King Garnet of Creye and I would very much like it to stay that way.
But this had befallen Gunterius, my second in command. I never got along with him, but it was always terrible to lose a soldier to such circumstances.
"Well," I said. "You are now officially my new second in command. Well done."
I extended my hand.
"Thank you," he replied, taking my offer.
As I shook his hand, I drew my sword with the other.
"Up for a little initiation spar?" I asked, grinning. "Defend yourself!"
I swung my sword at him, being careful not to cause any injury. He quickly drew his sword, which was double handed, and we were fighting over the grasslands.
I swung towards his waits, but he quickly parried. Landge swung to the left, but I noticed the fake out and quickly blocked right and dodged him to swing my sword towards his neck.
"You're the boss for a reason," Landge smirked as I lowered my sword.
I breathed in heavily.
The air was almost as fresh as it was back in Creye, but we wouldn't be there for a while. Anderles was the neighboring kingdom to ours. We were fighting them since before I was born, but I wasn't about to put a stop to it. They were known to be sadistic and evil. The ruling class controlled the citizens. There was no freedom and no happiness. When they attacked us, Creye fought back against Anderles. Harder than they could.
The pioneers were still building on the fort that I decided should be constructed on the land we ceased to strengthen our defense. But I was ready to fight.
"Get the troops ready," I eventually said to my newly promoted second in command. "We are going to weaken the enemy as much as possible."
"Yes, my lady," Landge said and ran off to the fort.
It was time for the skirmish.