The Thalikan plains had a rough, rocky terrain, one that made it unpleasant to walk in. But that was not where the harshness ended...

Although it was still the rainy season in Artaris, out here, snow descended from the sky, slowly, like dandelions in the breeze.

After a relentless march though icy winds and snow, one that had seen little breaks, the soldiers were worn.

While the more resilient ones set up camp and began preparations for the coming night, those without duties sat on the snow laden floors, the heat from their bodies enough to melt the white covering beneath them.

Once Eliron and Alex got to the camp, they split up, deciding to meet up a few minutes after.

Eliron decided to locate his people. While he walked past the tired soldiers, their faces twisted with disgust. Some sneered at him, others spat at the mere sight of him.

But no one dared to come close. No one even imagined it, and a simple glance was enough to make them stiffen, their faces turning white with fear.

Eliron couldn’t decided wether he liked it or not, but sometimes, he found himself smiling.

Hypocrites, the lot of them...

The knights already knew that the people he had killed were no longer human, but they needed someone to blame, someone to hate.

Many men here had family at the docs. But they did not even have a body to bury, nor even ash. Just a memorial stone the king had put up to pacify them.

They had to take out their anger on someone, to have a person to hate. Someone stepped in front of Eliron. He had dark brown eyes filled with hate, and bore an insignia on his chest.

’A captain?’ Eliron was not sure. It was hard to keep track of the thousands of ranks. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

He managed to keep Eliron’s gaze for a good three seconds before he walked to the side, allowing him to pass.

Eliron’s eyes narrowed as he spared a second to observe his features.

The man had not walked away due to fear, it was something else... There was also something familiar about him, but the more Eliron tried to remember, the more it evaded him.

He made sure to mark his face though, men like him would be useful in the war.

Eliron soon found a large tent at the edge of the camp. The wood shelves were not still all too used to humans, so naturally they chose to keep a bit of distance.

Not so large that they would look like they were avoiding them, but large enough to let them take a breather every now and then.

The tent shook slightly as someone opened the flap and stepped out. When Yen saw him, she let out a whimper, just before she fell into his arms.

"They are going to kill me! These feeble humans are going to drain me till all that is left is a husk!"

Eliron chuckled as he stared at the silver-haired angel.

Yen was part of the medical crew, and considering the nature of the plains, and the weather conditions, she would be called at different intervals to help out.

In a place that drained even the soldiers, non-combatants had it far worse.

Still, although she complained so much, it was something she had decided to do of her own volition.

He knew what she wanted, especially when she shot him that bubbly-eyed look.

"You’re really going to get fat if you keep eating this much..." Eliron pulled out a sack and placed it in her hands.

As one of the commanders, he was entitled to a premium assortment of rations, of course Yen ate most of it.

Yennefer chuckled darkly as she grabbed it with both hands, her golden eyes seemed to brighten as she tore it open.

Tsukiko strolled out of the tent next, yawning as she strode towards him with cat-like grace.

With a single leap, she found herself in his hair, digging into it like it was a nest.

Eliron simply sighed, then glanced at Yen. "Where are the others? We have people to meet..."

"Uhmmm..." Yennefer mumbled while chewing. "They are with their squads, but they should be back soon..."

And as though on cue, Eliron heard a high pitched voice calling out his name.

He turned around, just in time to see a child flying right at him like a missile, leathery wings outstretched.

Despite her small size, Jade slamming into him caused Eliron to shift back a few steps. Tsukiko accidentally dropped the jerky Yen had given her...

"Welcome back, Papa—ekk!" Jade suddenly squeaked when Tsukiko grabbed her ear and tugged on it.

"Foolish child." She hissed, her voice as icy as the snow around them.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry!" She squealed. The moment Tsukiko let go, she stuck out her tongue, shifting her head far away from reach.

While the two of them continued their bickering, Eliron exchanged greetings with the rest of them, catching up on a few things.

It had just been two weeks since they embarked on the journey, but the markings of war were already visible on their faces.

It was not stress, nor scars, the battle had not even begun. It was the weight of the lives that now rested on their shoulders, the people they now had to look after....

Both Artie and Ash were squad leaders who had a small group attached to them. Their decisions, whether they liked it or not, would determine the fate of those men and women.

Eliron had personally requested it. This was a great opportunity for them to gain experience they could not hope to get elsewhere.

Artaris had never fought any wars in recent years, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a war on the way.

They had to be prepared, both mentally and physically. Whatever hell they saw here would be a catalyst for their growth. It may be cruel, but it was effective.

Artie’s expression flickered with annoyance when she stared at Jade hugging him. If she was not a kid, Eliron would have been unsure of her safety...

She cleared her throat. "How did your scouting go?" Artie asked. "Did you find it?"

Eliron smirked. "Of course. I’ll get to work soon, it shouldn’t take long."

Ash’s expression hardened, but there was relief in his eyes. "Excellent work as usual my lord."

Eliron nodded. "We have visitors, the oracles of the kingdom. They are pretty high up in the chain, so we shouldn’t be late." He said in a nonchalant tone.

He turned around to go when he felt someone hold him in place. He sighed tiredly, already knowing who it was.

Slowly, he turned around to see Artie holding onto the back of his cloak. She frowned with mild annoyance, "like this?" Her emerald eyes took him in, moving from his rough hair, down to his leaf-coated cloak."

Eliron was still wearing the dirty, sweat soaked cloak he had used to train in the forest and she didn’t seem to like it...

"I know I should be happy that dressing like a potato will keep the other girls away, but we have to represent Artaris well..."

Yen nodded with approval. "You’re only going to give those fools more reasons to gossip about you."

Although he was the one being slandered, it seemed to enrage them more, especially Ash who had nearly gotten into a fight many times already.

"It is also not proper for one of the Grand Commanders to appear this way." Ash added, and Ariel nodded approvingly.

’Even you??’ So they all ganged up on him...

Before Eliron could mouth a word of complaint, Artie and Yennefer pulled him into their tent, and by the time he was let out, he was like an entirely different person.

A jacket made of fine material Eliron did not have a name for was draped over his shoulders, the dark green material gleaming in the moonlight.

Yen had braided his hair, the parts of it that splayed at the side at least—massaging submission into the stray cobalt strands.

Now, Eliron looked no different from a royal, an elven royal.

He stared at the clothes which were sure to pull atoll eyes to him. He would have complained, if he wasn’t sure that it was what they were going for...

"Alright..." Eliron’s shoulders sagged tiredly when he considered how late they had gotten. "Let’s go."