Luke had always imagined that war would start with a roar.
Instead, it began with silence.
The borderlands of Avarice lay still beneath the pale morning sky, mist clinging to the scorched earth and broken stone.
Knights stood in formation, armor gleaming faintly as they waited for the signal to advance.
Luke tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, willing his hands to stop shaking.
"Why cant I stop shaking, I'm supposed to lead the charge against the charge against the demonic beasts, I cant bring my team's morale down, I have to be…"
His thoughts were interrupted as a hand went over his shoulder and brought him close.
"Dude chill out, if the beasts don't kill us your nerves might, we'll win this. I know it." Rose said with a laugh as she shook Luke in an attempt to calm his nerves.
Luke turned and looked at his female comrade, a mage specializing in flame magic, donned in her suit of armor, a light weight breastplate with her cape and her witch hat, her fiery red hair popping out and stopping at her shoulders.
Seeing her care-free composure as she laughed calmed Luke down a little and he sighed in relief, happy that he had such cheerful teammates.
"I'm back, hope Luke's no longer being such a sulky child." A lady wearing a simple shirt and trousers with a cape said as she entered the tent.
"Yup, he's still being such a sulky baby despite being the strongest among us." Rose said with a sigh as she got off Luke and headed to Luina page, their captain.
"Hey! Why do I have to wear armor while you don't ?" Rose complained as she inspected Luina's fit.
"That's because I'm a melee fighter and any armor would hinder my movement. I thought we've gone over this many times already."
Luke stood alone, watching the land where would soon be their battlefield wit the early morning breeze wafting through his face.
"How! How do you guys still stay care-free even in this situation? We're literally the back-bone of this operation, if we lose, everyone might end up dying. Doesn't the responsibility weigh you down." Luke shouted suddenly, frustrated at himself, which surprised them both.
As Luke was still panting, Luina walked up to him and slapped him across the face. The force was heavy and Luke felt his head spin for a second as he held the table for support.
"What the hell kind of attitude is that, Luke?" Luina said as she held Luke by his collar.
"Do you think that we don't feel scared about this war, that we know we have a hundred percent chance of winning this war, Do you?"
In anger, Luina shoved Luke aside and started to walk out of the tent.
"I know the meaning of fear way more than you, but don't let it overcome you lest you've already lost the battle. I didn't train a scaredy cat, so don't be one Luke."
With that Luina walked out of the tent, leaving Rose and Luke alone.
After a moment of silence Luke spoke up.
"I'm sorry Rose. I didn't consider anyone else and I thought it was only me that was having problems but that ends now, I have people that are counting on me.
We're winning this war and that's that. Let's end this war and go back to our families." Luke said with a smile as he extended his hand towards rose who grabbed it and pulled him into a hug.
"Let's end this war and make master pay for slapping you." Rose said with a grin.
A trumpet interrupting their moment pierced through the air signaling that the war was about to begin.
Lunia entered the room, ready to pack her weapons and looked at luke.
"Hey I'm sorry for…" Luina was interrupted by Luke who bowed down and shouted,
"I'm sorry teacher for making you angry, I've realized my mistake and I know what I need to do now. Thank you."
"Yes that's more like it. Group hug!" Rose shouted as she grabbed them and hugged them both.
"Now lets go out there and kick some monsters ass."
Together the trio of three; a teacher and two students walked out, the tent flapped as Luke walked out first and kept it open for the two women to pass as the stillness of the morning shattered.
Outside the tent, the army of avarice was already in motion, knights climbing their horses and attaching their armor, mages packing equipment and revising spells.
Rows of knights advanced across the borderlands, banners raised high, snapping in the wind as steel and leather shifted in uneasy but unite rhythm.
Spellcasters and long range mages murmuring incantations under their breath, the air humming faintly with restrained and prepared magic.
Luke stepped out, hands clenched at his side, beside Rose and Luina, the early sun casting long shadows across the scorched earth.
Ahead of them stretched the battlefield, land that had been taken by the demonic beasts, vast, broken and waiting. Today avarice would take it back.
The march began without ceremony.
No speeches. No cheers. Only the steady crunch of boots against stone. Everyone had already been briefed about the plan, and it was already imprinted in all their minds.
Luke walked with the formation, his team leading the whole army, with the king's squad right behind, the whole time his heart pounding quickly in his chest.
As he turned back he noticed things he hadn't before due to him being in the dumps before, hands gripping weapons too tightly, quiet prayers whispered between breaths, eyes darting towards the distant haze where the demonic territory began.
"Smile." he reminded himself.
He noticed a few people with quivering lips and trembling hands and when they locked eyes with him, he flashed his widest grin that seemed to say 'It's alright. We're going to win this.'
Seeing his smile, their moods slightly lifted and morale returning he felt happy knowing that was the most he could do at that point.
"I swear, no one will die today" Luke swore quietly under his breath.
Luina rode in his front, her posture straight, her expression unreadable.
She never looked back, yet somehow Luke felt as though she was aware of every step he took.
The roar came without warning.
It rolled across the land like thunder, deep and inhuman, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
For a few seconds, their formation faltered and morale dropped .
Raising her hand and clenching it, she commanded, her voicing cutting through the rising panic "Hold!"
From the dark mist ahead, shapes began to emerge, twisted silhouettes moving with unnatural speed towards the army. Claws scraped against stone, screeches filling the air. Eyes glowed faintly in the haze.
"We've made contact!" Commander Lance shouted.
The silence broke.
"For Avarice!!" Luina roared in a voice too high for a woman.
"For Avarice!!" The army roared back.
Fire tore through the air as Rose released the first spell, a wave of flames crashing into the advancing beasts. Steel met flesh. Magic detonated against scale and bone as light spears pierced multiple beasts.
Luina turned to Luke and smiled "Lets go, my student."
Luke moved on instinct his mind repeating the same thing "I have to kill them all or else someone will die."
He flew into the air and landed on the ground in the middle of demonic beasts.
His sword flashed, striking down the first creature that lunged at him, a wolf- like beast.
The impact jarred his arms, the weight of it real in a way training had never been.
Around him, the knights of Avarice surged forward.
This was different than normal beast hunting.
This time people's lives were at stake, people that he knew, cherished and laughed with.
He had a wife and two children at home and there was always that high unexpected chance of death.
Doubts started to cloud his mind and his movements and judgement started to lack.
Suddenly he felt someone at his back. "You can relax now, The strongest wind mage is here now." Luina said with a smirk as with a raise of her hand five magic beasts were lifted off the ground and with a single air blow they all exploded.
"That's five to zero Luke, try to keep up."
And like that, a simple tease did more in helping him regain his calm than what a thousand words could do.
Gathering mana in his blade he swung it once and a clean line of wind cut through a dozen of the beasts.
"That's five to twelve, Luina, try to keep up." Luke smiled back
"You're on now." Luina said and both summoning wind at their backs they ricocheted in the opposite direction, the competition pumping adrenaline in their body.
For a moment, just a slight moment, Luke strongly believed that they might actually win with minimal casualties.