Blood. Cries of Agony. Incoherent yelling. The battlefield had long lost the order it had started with. Men clashed against one another. If their swords went blunt, they used their shields. If their sheilds broke, they used their fists. It was a mass brawl, full of filth and despair. To anyone looking, it was impossible to tell who was winning, but each man stuck in the large pit all could. It was long and agonising, but the Empire slowly pushed the Commonwealth soldiers back.

Everyone wished for it to end soon, bar one. Isra looked at it with a joyful smile as she jumped back into the fray, swinging her sword elegantly. The blade reflected the sunlight, creating as she skillfully cut underneath a man’s arm, tearing a hole into his chest. In the back of her mind, she worried about Alfred not knowing how his battle with Snowid was going. She felt bad for it, but the joy of being stuck in the middle of the battle overwhelmed her.

Life and death. She was walking a fine tightrope, narrowly dodging attacks thrown at her and countering with her own. She never felt more alive than she did right now, her heart racing as she chased the high of being so close to the border of death. She had tried to do things to stimulate it in the past, but they never had the same effect as it did on the battlefield. It was liberating.

Dodging to the right, she saw a sword aimed at her heart fly past. Hitting the blade up before the man could pull it back, she swung down across his neck, a flood of blood spraying out and drenching the people around. Isra didn’t let it distract her as she pulled her sword back and swung, hitting a sword swinging at her. A new attack flew towards her every second, and Isra slowly overwhelmed her. Despite that, she never stepped back unless she needed to.

"KEEP PUSHING! BREAK THEIR LINES!" ISra screamed out and hit another sword coming towards her away. She knew she was weaker than everyone attacking her, but none of them matched her skill. Any that could were on the other side with Snowid fighting the Unyeilding. Focusing on the man before her, she missed the attack coming from he left.

One of Henryk’s men stepped forward and blocked with his shield, covering Isra as another counted killing the man. Pushing the man away, she was fighting. She looked at the soldier and smiled before quickly turning back to the fight. Before, everyone had worried about having to fight with Isra. The battlefield wasn’t a place for a woman; they all knew that. But all it took was one swing of her sword for them to realise she belonged there, more than most men. She had no fear, instead craving it. They all knew of battle junkies, but seeing one was different.

"PUSH THEM BACK!" Isra called out again and took a step forward. Her sword arced, reflecting the sunlight, drawing blood once again. Each kill, each cry motivated the men more, not wishing to be outdone by a woman. Some had reservations about joining the Empire before. They were their enemies for so long, after all. But fighting with bothte Empoer and Empress. Entrusting their lives to the two and, in turn, having them trust them created a bond, something that could only be forged on the battlefield.

Isra took a step forward. Like a valkry sent from the heavens, each time she swung, blood flew. Her body was drenched in blood, no one knowing which was hers and which was the enemy’s. Henryk’s men moved with her, protecting her flanks as Isra lowly pushed against the Commonwealth forces. The men around her didn’t take a step back; they couldn’t when their Empress refused to.

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Henryk stood firm with his shield. Deflecting an attack, he pushed the man in front away and quickly stabbed out. His eyes were cold, watching the horde before him. Despite his age, no one could say he was a hindrance, easily living up to his reputation. Attack after attack flew, but he became an unmovable fortress, not giving an inch as his shield deflected all attacks.

He could feel the Commonwealth forces slowly fall back with each attack from his men and knew the battle had been won. Despite losing, the Commonwealth soldiers didn’t panic. They knew the battle was just the start of the war. They were outnumbered and only had to buy time.

Slowly, the lines in the back retreated, creating a shield wall in the distance protecting the retreat as cavalry formed on the outskirts, ready to trample on anyone who decided to give chase. Henryk was used to these tactics. He had been a loyal soldier of the Commonwealth for decades. Watching the final few Commonwealth soldiers, he saw his men ready to charge and forwned.

"DON’T GIVE CHASE! IT’S A TRAP!" His words carried weight, and anyone who tried to run forze instinctavlly watching. Finally able to calm down from the battle, they looked around and saw the heavy cavalry waiting for anyone to give chase as Archers drew their bows opposite, ready to shoot anyone stupid enough to chase.

Henryk sighed and looked around. In the distance, he saw Snowid running back with his Claymore dragging across the ground. Even when retreating, he didn’t let it seem like a loss, casually walking like no one would dare attack him from behind. Henryk turned and looked at his own men. He could hear the pained groans behind him and knew that the real struggle was coming. Fighting was easy, but looking after the injured was always time-consuming.

He couldn’t help but curse Snowid. It was a great way to buy time for his reinforcement to arrive, and although he would have been injured, most of them would have been left on the battlefield to die if they couldn’t take themselves back.

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Alfred watched Snowid retreating back with cold eyes. He may have blinded him in one eye, but he had come close to death too many times. Looking around, he saw the dead bodies littered around and couldn’t help but frown. He could have easily become one. Charles walked over with a slight limp and took his helmet off. Brushing Alfred’s shoulder plate, he took off a chunk of dirt.

"You had me worried for a while," Charles said without emotion as he watched Snowid back. Alfred smirked and shook his head.

"He’s like a wild beast. I really wonder what he does to have a physique like that." Alfred couldn’t help but be impressed. It wasn’t just Snowid’s raw strength that let him use a Claymore like a stick, but also the fact that he never seemed to get tired when using it. Alfred knew if he swung it even once, he would be exhausted, yet Snowid treated it like a normal sword.

"He was born blessed. And he knows how to use it." Charles clicked his tongue, thinking about how easily Snowid had pushed him aside. It nearly cost Alfred his life.

"How did William even block one of his attacks? When he had me pinned to the ground, I honestly thought it was over." Charles chuckled at the way Alfred spoke. Despite saying that there was no fear in his voice, he was expected from someone who had brushed death.

"Don’t try to compare with William. He’s a freak in his own right. That being said, he told me that Marcus is even scarier." Alfred scoffed and turned around. Looking at the Unyeilding, they all went around gathering their dead and taking them back to the camp.

"Get me a report of how many we lost. If it’s like this, I’m gonna have to get some reinforcement from the South." Charles slammed his fist on his chest and bowed, walking off. Looking around, Alfred saw Isra cleaning her blade.

Her body was drenched in blood and filth, but he couldn’t help but think she looked radiant at the moment. Slowly walking over, she looked at him and smiled, Alfred returning his own.

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Snowid sat in his line of men. His face was stern as doctors looked at his eye. Looking around with his good one, he saw a soldier walking over with the wine he requested and snatched it, doing its contents. "YOUR GRACE! Please don’t make sudden movements."

Snowid waved it off and looked around. Even now, he knew to keep up a display of power. Blood fell from his eye as doctors debated on what to do. Having had enough, he pushed them away and looked out at his men.

"MEN OF THE COMMONWEALTH!" His voice boomed and got everyone’s attention. Even those who were in pain went silent, listening. "I KNOW WHAT YOU ALL ARE THINKING!" Some tensed up nervously, and Snowid saw it. Baring his teeth, he broke out into a wide smile. "BUT FORGET IT! THEY ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO OUR SPIRIT! THIS IS OUR HOME! NEVER FORGET THAT! FIGHT, KNOWING YOU PROTECT YOUR DAUGHTERS ’ AND YOUR SON’S FUTURES FROM TYRANNY! THAT WAY, WE WILL BE UNBEATABLE!" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

One of Snowid’s most loyal came forward and fell to his knee. "ALL HAIL HIS GRACE! ALL HAIL THE KING!" A couple others followed, quickly falling to their knees and shouting the words back. Soon, the rest all fell to their knees, and Snowid looked around. Spreading his arms, he looked undefeatable. The blood falling from his destroyed eye didn’t even seem like a wound to them but a scar showing his unyielding spirit in defending their home.

Snowid smiled, suppressing the pain assaulting him. He had to look strong. It was the only way the men before him would willingly follow him to their deaths.