Gift of the Fox

Chapter 17: The Fateful Battle in the North

The army of Wanglongians galloped through the snowy fields of the north. The Wolf Prince and the Celestial Fox led the battle against the Sorovs, who stood on the opposite side of the hill. 

The two enormous armies clashed. Blood reddened the white snow. Cracks of swords and cries and groans of the wounded echoed throughout the mountains. 

Tao fought selflessly and tried to stay at the prince's side. He swung his sword and yelled like a savage beast. He indeed resembled a dragon he was rumoured to be the son of. No less was the Wolf Prince's rampage - Shao had gone completely berserk, chopping and mangling the enemies like a true Vidar and not a Wanglongian. He didn't seem to fear death at all. Any kind of fear was foreign to him now. 

The master and the servant, like at all other times, tried to outmanoeuvre each other even now: Tao contemplated Shao's movements and tried to show off better skills, while Shao would chuckle and swing his sword even stronger in order to show Tao who the real boss was. For the two of them, these battles looked like simple games of who would kill more enemies and more effectively.

Battles and wars were never foreign to Tamie. As a girl growing up with an only brother, a warrior father, and an overly-energetic mother, she was trained to fight since her early childhood. She had guarded her home together with her family many times, killing enemies at a very young age. 

Qartlandians had it hard. Their little territory was surrounded by giant enemies: the Sorovs from the north, the Tiurricks from the south-west, the Sparsians from the south-east, and the Aramens from the near south. Aramens had a little kingdom too, but unlike Qartlandian noblemen who often betrayed their kings, Aramens were completely loyal to each other, so they somehow managed to get through these difficult situations, while Qartlandians often had a hard time. Their territories were being seized by the three giant kingdoms, and the capital city would go from hand to hand. Hence, Tamie's family had to fight every year, every month, and sometimes even every day. Tamie, even though she was only nineteen, was far more experienced in battles than many other Wanglongian warriors alongside whom she was fighting now.

As the armies battled, Tao noticed how a heavily-armoured young man dressed in a cloak and a feathered helmet, sitting on a white Sorovian horse, attacked Shao. He seemed to overpower the prince, for the latter had already been wounded in a hand.

"Ah, it has to be the army commander!" 

Tao hit his white horse Mjolnir and galloped towards them. Shao grew worried:

"No, Tao, don't attack so recklessly!"

Tao didn't listen and clashed with the Sorovian general. A terrible duel began. Tao crazily swung his sword, trying to lead the Sorovian general away from the prince and fight him alone. But Shao didn't want to sit still either - he whipped his horse Bernard and rushed towards the two opponents. Before he could reach them, though, the Sorovian general swung his sword and cut Tao. Shao gasped in fright and hastened his horse. 

Before collapsing, Tao managed to swing his sword one last time. He cut the general and even dropped his helmet off. The very next second, he let out a dreaded yell - it was Nick!

"B... Brother..." 

Tao whispered, unable to speak loudly for he had already lost much blood. He fell off Mjolnir's back, his vision going blurred. The last thing she saw made her heart tremble - Shao had pierced Nick's chest!

"N... Nick..."

Her eyes closed, with a tiny tear falling down her cheek.