by T. Sae-Low
“Xander?” Aric could not believe his eyes. He must be hallucinating; perhaps he had fallen off the cliff and had moved on to the afterlife. This simply did not make sense.
“Relax, little brother, I’ve got you.” Xander lifted him back onto solid ground. Aric dropped to his knees, clutching the few clumps of grass beneath him. Never had the cold comfort of dirt and rocks filled him with such joy. He rose to his feet to witness the unfathomable. Swarms of Vicedonian soldiers were pouring in from the southern pass. The Krakens proved no match for the sheer number of fresh Vicedonian troops. One by one, they were cut down, screaming in their final moments, an excruciating sound that signaled both considerable pain and release. A release from the torment brought on by the sickness of the Dark Forest. The extent to which they had become infected was unimaginable. Had Aric known it would end this way, he never would’ve ordered them to march through it. His brashness and impatience had now sacrificed to the Creator the Vicedonian army’s most battle hardened fighting force.
Aric was still bewildered by the current happenings. “How did you find us, Xander?”
“When father heard of your undisclosed departure, he sent me to find you. We already knew your destination. You disappeared shortly after our meeting with the war council. If you had just been patient, we could’ve charged into this battle together.”
Aric looked down at his feet, unable to meet Xander’s eyes. Shame was a difficult emotion to mask.
“But you were right, Aric, possessing Lake Raphia is essential in this war, and without it we can’t afford to march against the Renzai capital. If I was marching this way anyway, it made sense to bring fresh reinforcements for the battle at hand. We thought we were close on your trail… until it disappeared into the Dark Forest.”
Aric stood there silent. The gravity of his error weighed heavily upon his heart. The pressure upon his shoulders too heavy a burden of guilt. He had nothing to say, no words of remorse would turn back what had already been done.
“I still can’t believe you marched through that place and survived. We marched around the Dark Forest, beneath the shadows of the Phalanx Mountains and made it to Lake Raphia just in time apparently.”
Xander could tell his little brother was hurting. Ever since they were young, Xander wanted to protect Aric from harm. Aric was young, impudent, and brash, but Xander always made room for him in his heart, forgiveness never a long way off. A part of him couldn’t help but feel guilty, too. Father constantly compared Aric to him, always criticizing his faults and seldom acknowledging his accomplishments. It must’ve been hard growing up in Xander’s shadow. Even the severity of Aric’s current mistake could not truly rile the anger of his older brother.
Xander gestured towards a dead Kraken. “What happened to them… in there?”
Aric tried to find the right words to explain. How every fear had become a reality, how the ghosts of the past had never moved on, but remained chained to this world in an endless cycle of torment. How the terrors possessed your very soul, infecting you with the symptoms of dread and doubt. How he almost died at the hands of Captain Izik, his own Royal Guard. All of this, Aric tried to put into words to explain to his older brother. But the words never came. He just stood there shaking his head.
“Well, it doesn’t even matter anymore, Aric. What’s done is done.” The brothers watched as General Yagar, atop his giant red horse ordered the remnants of the Renzai force to retreat. They fled into the safety of the Wild Woods, running off into the early morning light, disappearing from their sight. The last of the Third Unit had been killed. The tentacles of the Kraken sliced off, and the body sent back to the bottom of the sea. A quiet peace echoed across the battlefield. The silence was deafening. Bodies littered the field, piling up in heaps left and right. The fires still burned on the northern pass. The southern pass had been destroyed and flames put out when Xander arrived with reinforcements. The Vicedonians had won. They now possessed one of the greatest resources in the Disputed Lands, but at such costly a price.
“We need to get this place organized and fortified. Come, brother, let’s waste no more time.” The two princes marched towards the center of the battlefield. Xander quickly took charge and barked out orders.
“Pile up the bodies of the Third Unit by the northern fires. Those bodies need to be incinerated. Vicedonian bodies are to be piled over by the southern pass. We will build a funeral pyre for all of them, sending them on to the Creator with all due ritual and respect. Renzai soldiers are to be piled up by the cliff’s edge. We’ll burn them and scatter their ashes into the lake.”
“But they were our enemy, Xander, we should feed their carcasses to the wild animals. Why should they deserve any of our respect?” asked Aric.
“Because they proved a worthy adversary, Aric. Even in battle, you still can maintain a level of respect and honor. They fight for their nation, their homes, and their families just as we do ours. Fate has determined us to be on opposite sides, but to treat them as savages is to undermine our own integrity. We are Vicedonian. We are better than that.”
The idea of being merciful to your enemy rubbed Aric the wrong way. He couldn’t fathom being gracious to an enemy who moments ago was trying to stab you in the heart. He and Xander always differed. Even at their most basic levels, Aric didn’t believe that they would ever agree on anything. But now, he was not the highest-ranking person on the field. Xander was here, and he was the one giving orders.
Arges and Steropes slowly made their way over to the brothers. Steropes was covered in dirt, blood, and grime, exhausted but still standing. Arges still looked untouched, his youthful face showing no signs of weariness, but his neck was grossly discolored. He clutched at it, holding back the blood.
“Generals. I’ve seen you have better days than this.” Xander patted both of them on their shoulders.
The generals saluted back. Hands shaped in a ‘V’ crossed over their hearts. “It’s finally over. If not for your reinforcements, Xander, we would’ve been dead.” Steropes leaned against his double-ended spear, trying to catch his breath.
“It’s already early morning; we’ve got to get this place fortified before the Renzai return with more troops.” Arges coughed abruptly, hacking up a bit of blood.
“Let me worry about fortifications. Let’s get you two to the medics right away. Your wounds are severe.”
As the generals were carried away, Arges stared intently at the Draco Guardian carved into the mountainside, his eyes then lowered towards the Midas Caves. What treasure do you protect? he wondered.
Aric and Xander stood alone in the middle of the field.
“Father must be furious with me.”
“He was. With your unexpected exodus, we couldn’t continue with our plan of trying to divert General Yagar’s attention before striking at Lake Raphia. But whether you believe me or not, father was still impressed by your courage. A part of him knew you were right. We needed to strike hard and quick. We were planning to march in three weeks time from the war council meeting, but your early departure sped up the timetable. It all doesn’t matter now, though, because we won, Aric. The people of Vicedonia will now believe you to be a hero. Marching straight to battle and bringing home a victory for the ages.”
“A victory for the ages? I highly doubt that, Xander. When they hear the true story of what I did here, they—”
“It doesn’t matter what actually happened, Aric, it’s how the story is told that makes it true. You are a hero, Aric. You even have a great scar to prove it. Father will be proud to hear of your tales in battle.”
Aric allowed Xander’s words to sink in. He had lost track of the days, but if today was indeed his birthday, then perhaps this was the greatest present he could wish for. He had not failed, achieving a great victory and changing the course of this war. He had kept his word by defeating General Yagar. His people would welcome him home with open arms, honored to proclaim both their princes. His father would embrace his youngest son, pro
ud of his heroic deeds. The thoughts filled him with joy. He felt renewed, smiling sincerely for the first time since leaving home. He watched the sun rise over the cliff’s edge, bringing with it a new day, and perhaps signaling a new chapter in his life. But the edge of the cliff pulled at him, reminding him how his life had nearly come to a pitiful end. Without Xander’s help, his body would lay broken on the rocky shore of Lake Raphia. The truth… Aric thought. He turned away from his older brother and walked off in silence.
Chapter 36