"COMMANDER!" Adam called out to Marcus. he didn’t turn around to look at him but wondered why he was still here. Looking at Marcus, Adam wondered how the man was still standing. He was exhausted and covered in wounds. Although none were lethal, most men would have collapsed by now.

Marcus didn’t turn to face him, but he knew that he couldn’t let an opportunity like this go to waste. "LEAD THE AMMARY TROOPS! ITS GONE TO SHIT! IT ALL COMES DOWN TO YOU!" Despite his slurred words, Adam understood. Marcus blocked an attack each time his enemy’s sword got closer to his body as he struggled to find his strength after so long. Adam gritted his teeth and nodded to himself, pushing through his rows of men to where he was ordered to go.

Hundreds reinforced Marcus, and he finally felt the burden of the defence weaken. He wanted to fall back and take a rest, but he knew the moment he stopped fighting, he would collapse. He needed something to keep him going, and the threat to his life was the only motivator that was good enough.

Adam ran quickly and joined up with his brothers, the ones he had trained with. Unlike the Commonwealth rebels Marcus led, the Ammary troops hadn’t lost much ground able to hold firm. Adam put the whistle around his neck in his mouth and pushed through the ranks. Blowing in three quick succession, they all knew what it meant.

"PUSH!" Adam’s voice screamed, nd like a single organism, they stabbed forward and pushed with their shields. The opposing force didn’t expect such a sudden act of aggression and were forced back as Ludwick looked at it with sudden terror. "PUSH!" Adam called out again, his troops pushing once more. They lacked leadership before, but now, with it, they felt unstoppable.

Adam had learnt from watching Marcus and began to slam his fist on his chest. He wasn’t in the front, waiting to rotate forward. Those along him quickly caught on and did the same without being distracted from the battle in front. The beating drums of war echoed from their small front as the Ammary soldiers felt their blood flowing from it. "PUSH!" He called out once more and once again forced their enemy back. "PUSH!"

Ludwick felt his force quickly overwhelmed by the sudden change. They were the reserves. Not fit to truly fight. Adam blew the whilst, and the men at the front quickly roated back, replaced by a new line of fresh soldiers. The reserve force under Ludwick was already exhausted, whilst the Ammary soldiers had been switching with each other the entire fight. Now, with Adam, it was even more streamlined.

They struck with deadly precision, killing many each time they attacked. Despite the desperate attack from Ludwick’s forces, they were quickly forced onto the back foot. Those who were meant to attack suddenly were forced to defend, and Adam could see that they would break soon.

"STAND YOUR GROUND!" Ludwick shouted, unable to hide the fear in his voice. It had the opposite effect that someone like Kacper of Marcus would have as his men felt less motivated. The fear they already had when fighting was amplified, and Ludwick saw the first man back off before trying to run. He was quickly stopped and pushed back into the line, being killed by an attack he never saw.

"PUSH!" Adams’ energised cries grew louder and louder each time, along with the drumming from their line ranks. To others, it sounded horrid, like the two pieces of metal slamming together and creating a deafening noise, but for Marcus and his men, it was a sound they had come to love—a sound that showed their unity and strength.

More and more retired to leave, only to be pushed back by those behind. Ludwick couldn’t take it, his eyes madly spinning. He wasn’t in the front anymore, but it didn’t matter. He already thought they were going to lose, and now, with Adam’s leadership, he was sure of it. He couldn’t see the rest of the battle, and it became his fatal weakness as he slowly turned and tried to leave.

When the other saw their commander, who stuck out with his high-quality armour, they trey and leave the entire front broke down. What was the point of it if their leader didn’t even want to fight? Adam saw the men before his turn and tried to flee, and his men didn’t hesitate to kill anyone who showed their backs. Honour, dignity, pride. None of it mattered on the battlefield to them. If their enemy showed their back, it would be their fault if they died.

Like butchers in a field, they cut down anyone they could until the opposing force crumbled and vanished. Adam blew his whistle and rotated to the front, leading the charge into the Kacper’s main army. "CHRAGE!" With Adama’s cry, the drumming stopped, and they all charged like a wall, slamming into the back of Kacper’s attacking force.

"WERE SURROUNDED!" KAcper heard the shout from one of his men and looked at his back line. No escape route; the fort had yet to fall. Kacper hung his head and gritted his teeth. Fight or Surrender? It was a choice now. He had failed to break Marcus, and the sudden reinforcements he got meant he wouldn’t be able to.

The backline technically was the weak set with only a few hundred Ammary soldiers holding it, but he knew better than to think he could push through them. Arek’s forces were fresh. Kacper’s fist tightened around his sword. "Dammit. FUCK! DAMMIT!" He couldn’t think of anything else to say as he played scenario after scenario in his head.

Maybe if Marcus died, it would create a ripple effect, but he was sure it wouldn’t matter. They were already encircled, and the situation had quickly turned against their favour. ’Surrender.’ Looking around, he saw his men desperately trying to survive and create a breakthrough, but all attempts were failing. ’So close.’ He could only feel sad at how close he was to winning, but seeing his men, he knew he had only one option.

"SURRENDER!" He wasn’t Marcus. He wouldn’t fight to the bitter end for a lost cause. He wouldn’t try to take as many as he could with him, knowing it would be pointless in the long run. ’I was so close.’ He wished to cry but didn’t at his failing. "ALL TROOPS SURRENDER!" Kacper cried out, and his words were soon carried along the lines.

Those holding the line quickly crumbled hearing the order and waited for their enemy to stop attacking. Marcus heard it and for a second thought about ignoring it but chose against it. Nothing was more dangerous than a cornered lion. If he stripped their only hope, what was stopping them from being suicidal in their attacks? He also knew his condition. How long could his body keep going? Willpower could only go so far.

"STOP THE ASSULT!" MArcus cried out. His order was final. His words were carried along, and eventually, the fighting stopped. Only the sound of desperate cries of help remained as those injured were finally heard.

A faint smile spread on his lips as he thought for a second they would be ignored. Dropping his sword, he walked over toward Marcus, as did Adam. He knew his commander’s condition and knew the man was about to collapse.

Coming face to face with his enemy, Marcus looked at him respectfully, and Kacper returned it. They were enemies but the entire battle had been a game of chess, them both trying to outwit the other. Kacper knew he had almost won but had gotten sloppy, not expecting Arek’s men to come.

Marcus knew it aswell. He got lucky that Adam disobeyed his command. He got lucky. Looking at Marucs, Kacper wondered what drove the man. His cheek was torn open. His body was covered in small wounds, and his breathing was heavy. Not an inch of him wasn’t covered in blood or dirt.

Adam quickly arrived at Amrcus’s side, and looking at his second, his eyes finally started going dark. "Take care..." He quietly started but quickly collapsed, being caught by Adam. Kacper looked at him and frowned but said nothing, seeing his light breathing. He was still alive, and it only added to his amazement. How tired was he? How far had he pushed himself?

The insane drive to win was something he had never seen before and made him wonder if it was all worth it.

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"They are ready, sir." Adam nodded, sitting beside Marcus, who was in a deep sleep. His body had been clean and his wounds patched up, but Adam knew he wouldn’t wake anytime soon, likely sleeping for the whole day. He had just pushed himself that much.

Nodding, he brushed his hair back and left the tent. Looking into the distance, he saw the POWs all sitting back to back, tied up to one another. He could only sigh, wondering how much it would cost to feed them, but knew that they had to keep them until they captured the south. It was fine to release them afterwards, many being levies conscripted by their lord who would just want to return home.

Much like before, the bodies of the Ammary soldiers who died were laid out in a long row. Walking through them, he saw the survivors looking on with emotionless eyes. Although they were brothers in war, they all knew it would either end like this or in retirement. Death wasn’t something to be mourn for them. They had all prepared for it long ago.

There was no speech or anything. No one wanted another right now, only wishing to rest. They could only give their silent farewells to their brothers before they were sent back home to rest.

"It is nice what you do." Adam heard Kacper say from the side, surrounded by two guards watching him. They couldn’t risk keeping him prisoner like the others due to his title, something Adam couldn’t understand. He was the most dangerous yet could walk around freely. It was why he never strived for the position of General. Then, he would have to take part in the politics of everything.

"They deserve a proper send-off. Once home, they can rest." Adam said with a faint smile, and Kacper nodded.

"You don’t include the Commonwealth forces who fought with them." Adam could hear the irritation in his voice and smiled.

"We have no obligation to give them a farewell. I didn’t train, live and grow with them for years. This is an Ammary custom created by our General. What you do with your dead is up to you." Kacper shrugged and said nothing, seeing he touched a nerve in Adam.

"It’s a shame we have nothing like that. After all, who cares about a peasant that dies?" Kacper said bitterly. "I used to think like that. But now." He shook his head with a smile. "Even with the reform Snowid made to create a standing army, we still have nothing like this. Scavange the bodies and bury them were they died is what we do."

"Savages," Adam said disdainfully. Kacper wanted to say something but couldn’t. "These men will go home. If they have a family, they get to decide what happens. If not, they will be buried in the field of swords. The graveyard for all who died in service. Any we can’t find, will have a fake grave made."

"It really is nice," Kacper said peacefully, looking at the setting sun in the distance.