"Hail! Rhydher."
"All hail the crown prince of Drakseid!"
"Long live the prince!"
"Glory to Drakseid!"
The cheers echoed through the square, voices rising in a thunderous wave. I watched from the platform, standing above the sea of faces as the crowd roared his name. They cheered for the victory at Fort Gehena, for the crown prince who reclaimed what was lost. But I wasn't done. There's more to this tale.
"Attention!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the noise like a blade.
The cheering stopped instantly. All eyes were on me again. Confusion flickered across their faces. "What? There's more?"
"Attention, my brethren!" I let the silence hang for a moment, feeling the tension coil in the air. "I told you something was amiss, didn't I?" I took a step forward, the weight of my words settling over them like a storm cloud. "Now… hear the tale of our conquest of Verdune."
I let out a huge grin. The crowd leaned in, hanging on my next words.
"Before I talk about the conquest of Verdune, as a herald and story-teller, I must first tell you how Fort Gehena was penetrated by the flank units and how our brethren were locked in the depths of Gehena."
I caught the flicker of intrigue across their faces. Good. Now I had them.
"Unit Alpha was to press the enemy front. Unit Beta and Gamma reached both sides of the fort. The enemy met them with archers. Not a concern." I waved my hand dismissively. "They approached with their shields clustered—tight, impenetrable. The volley of arrows rained down, but our warriors stood firm. Their shield wall was as strong as Gehena's walls."
The crowd murmured, anticipation sharpening the air.
"The enemy's archers faltered. Their numbers diminished in no time. They couldn't call for reinforcements—every side of the fort was already engaged. And so, our warriors prepared to scale Gehena's walls."
I let the silence stretch for a moment before leaning forward. My voice lowered, but the crowd hung on every word.
"The enemy thought they were secure. They thought they had the high ground." My grin sharpened. "But they didn't account for what was about to happen next."
The crowd gasped in anticipation.
"Two lines of the phalanx moved closer to the walls. One line crouched low to the ground, shields locked tight. The second line stood just behind them, shields raised toward their allies. They positioned themselves at arm's length from each other."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd—shock, disbelief. I smiled.
"Then the remaining phalanx fell back. The frontline packed away their shields and spears. They looked up at Gehena's walls… then at the two lines of shields ahead of them. They took deep breaths—and ran."
Eyes widened. Breathless silence.
"The first step landed on the crouched shields—boosting them up toward the second line. The second line bent under the weight—but held. And then—"
I raised my hand.
"They launched them."
Gasps.
"Hands reached the edge of Gehena's wall. They pulled themselves up. And the first group that landed?"
I let the silence hang for a moment.
"They hurried to secure the gates. The second group landed and headed straight for the underground prison, where our brethren were locked up. The third group landed next, lowering a net made of ropes for their allies to climb."
A sharp exhale from the crowd. Shocked whispers.
"Gehena's defenders weren't just outmatched. They were outclassed."
My grin sharpened.
"Chaos and a bloodbath followed as our warriors cut down the bandits and secured the fort. Unit Delta came through the back and formed a shield wall in front of the gate. They were quickly joined by elements from Unit Beta and Gamma. The rest searched the fort, releasing our captured warriors."
I paused. The tension in the crowd was palpable.
"Our captive warriors… they were skin and bones. Sick, weak, wounded—but alive. They were bounded to iron shackles, but our warriors who went to rescue them were shocked with a bizarre sight, on the corridor passage between the cells death bodies of over a hundred bandits lays. All their head chopped of their body. One of the captive said they saw many a woman like figure all dressed in black using unusually long and thin swords. They moved faster than the eyes can blink and they blended in the dark. Not a single trace of them was found in the fort or the surrounding. The captivators described them as ghosts. They were a mystery."
My smile faded.
"Then the duel happened. And the aftermath."
The crowd's breath hitched.
"As our prince stood victorious and the soldiers cheered, a scout rode in on horseback. He climbed off and stared for a moment at the massive corpse and the prince drenched in blood. Then he knelt.
'Report,' Rhydher said, his tone cold.
The scout hesitated. We all held our breath.
'Is Verdune approaching?' the prince asked.
A shaky breath from the scout. 'Y—yes, Your Highness.'
'The Duke of Verdune is marching toward Fort Gehena with ten thousand cavalry and five thousand heavy infantry.'
Silence. Weight. Finality.
Rhydher let out a diabolical, maniacal laugh.
'Like a moth to a flame. Everything is as I planned and hoped. It's making me uneasy.'
We froze. Planned? What did he mean? Was Verdune his real objective all along?
'These bandits were pathetic. I hope Verdune puts up a better fight.'
Then he looked at us—his army—with a gaze full of excitement, confidence, and hunger.
'Get ready for more, boys. I will show you—numbers don't win a battle.'
A chill ran down our spines, but it wasn't fear—it was power. His power.
Verdune was coming. We made preparations. We threw the bandits into the depths of the fort. The army regrouped.
Rhydher stood before us, commanding the battlefield with calm precision. He dictated the strategy, the plan—refined, merciless. His words sharpened us like steel on a whetstone. The soldiers weren't weary—thanks to the hellish training that forged their stamina and endurance. They could fight for days if needed.
'We will crush Verdune's army here. None shall escape. Take no prisoners. The duke and his aide—capture them alive if possible. We will make an example out of them.'
His voice darkened.
'Leave no room for mercy in your heart. Don't pity them.'
He smiled.
'The taste of victory in Gehena is nothing but the appetizer. The main course is victory against the province of Verdune.'
We shouted a war cry—loud and unified. Fear and doubt? Forgotten.
We could only see victory ahead."