MASHNA ARKIN

Western Border of Lireo

The Last Day of the Second Great War

"Come home soon, father."

"I will, little girl. I promise."

The words of my daughter Alishka echo in my mind as enemy soldiers surround us, with their swords and spears aimed at our lives. I've lost so much blood, and many of my men. This war has cost us all— for both sides of the game. As I look at our foes' black, weary gazes, I also see their hearts, longing to see their loved ones again. I see myself in them. We all have families waiting for us to return, but not everyone will get that privilege. Instead, those soldiers die in a blood-soaked battlefield. Our final moments breathing, not spent in a peaceful bed, surrounded by grandchildren, but fighting for some king's battle, with only the sole company of brothers-in-arms.

I wonder if Alishka would grow up and marry a soldier, who will also leave her and their children to fight another war and never come back. Will her children also go to war and leave her as well? Why are we still fighting, anyway? Some of us just want quiet lives. Normal people are easily contented with what we have, never asking for more, and we don't send innocent to fight our battles for us. But the men and women who sit all high and mighty above us… they keep on waging wars, and for what? — A few pieces of pretty rocks.

These pretty rocks though, have been used to wipe out a strong civilization.

It was the Hathorian King, Hagorn. His desire for power brought him to what he is today— mad and evil. He stole the legendary Gems— fragments of a great Mother Gem that the prime deity Emre bestowed upon our ancestorsto help destroy the civilization Etheria that they immediately overcame after.

And now, I ask Bathalang Emre if we also overcome this fight. But as the blades of our enemies draw closer, I am left with no other answer.

I look far into the horizon and get a faint picture of the towers of Lireo, thrust through the highest clouds. I do not know for how long she can stand. Hathorians are at our doorstep, and have taken most of our land. "Where is our Queen?" I hear soldiers behind me cry. I recall the Queen of Lireo who spoke to me before she left the land. It was after we received a message from her sister, the traitor Sang'gre Pirena who first stole the Gem of Fire and fled to Hathoria to make an arrangement with her father Hagorn, who in turn betrayed her and seized the gem for himself. She warned us of an impending final attack from Hathoria to end the war in their favor— something the council took heavily.

"We should not listen to the traitor's words, Your Highness," Mashna Jenevah said.

At the Queen's right hand was the wisest of Encantadia. He represents the Kingdom of Adamya in the Lirean Council. He spoke as an old man— weakly, but his words are packed with sheer wisdom and experience. "The power of the Gems merely blinded the ambitious Sang'gre Pirena, thus awakening the Hathorian in her. But she has shown her capacity to love her homeland. I trust her words if it is in the intention of saving it."

Mashna Jenevah wouldn't budge despite of the Nuno's compelling argument. "What if it's a trap, Nunong Imaw? We don't know whether the Sang'gre has allied with her father, and conjured this story to trick us?"

"Silence, all of you!"

The table became quiet when she finally spoke. "My sister is many things, Mashna Jenevah," she said. "Call her a traitor, but Nunong Imaw is right… She will not let anyone, not even her own father destroy Encantadia. What she did with the Gem was an act of selfishness. But if she aims to rule this queendom, she will not let it be reduced to ashes." She stood up, and so did we. "I need time to think." She walked towards the door, escorted by her guards. "Mashna Arkin, walk with me."

She signaled her guards to leave us. "The Mashna can protect me," she said, confidently.

The queen held my arm as we walked down the central hall of her palace that leads to the throne room. I trained her as a child in the arts of combat, by order of her mother. I was newly -wed then. And spending time with the little princess Amihan already made me feel like a father. Now, she is a grown woman, the Queen of Lireo. Her white-and-blue armor suited her. Steel plates covered her entire body except for her face, as bright as her Ada's, with skills in combat as honed as her Ado, Raquim's. Her heart exceeds both.

"You didn't say a thing back there," she said.

"If Mashna Jenevah could argue like that with the wisest Nunong Imaw, who's to say what she can do to me? I'd rather be dragons' dinner."

I used to make the young princess laugh all the time , and I never lost my touch. It was always comforting to see the queen smile. Bathala knows that she couldn't do it more, with her responsibilities; and the war, to make things even more depressing.

Her frown returned shortly after. "What do you think, General?" She asked me. "Am I letting my feelings for my sister cloud my judgement?"

As we neared the throne room, we passed by a sculpted light figure of her mother, the Queen of Lireo before her. "Queen Mine-a appointed me as a general at a very young age, despite of plenty of people objecting. I served her unquestionably since then. And she never asked anything that would tarnish my honor. And I understood the extent of her trust in me when she gave me the responsibility of who would be the next bearer of her crown and queendom. If I knew one thing about your mother, she is full of love, and she was able to share that with you and the rest of us Lireans. Through what she felt for her people, she did many great things. Love was the true power of Queen Mine-a. And as I see her in you, I believe that you are capable of this as well."

We reached the throne room, with the grand, ornamented chair facing them as they entered. "Listen to what your heart says, Hara Amihan," I said to her. "You know Sang'gre Pirena more than anyone else. The most credible decision on whether we trust her or not is your own."

She looked at her throne, and sighed exhaustedly. "I'm starting to fall apart," she said. "I will never be the woman that mother was…" She ascended the steps and touched the golden bar where she rests her arm when she sat in her seat. "We're losing this war."

I joined the Queen and stroke her hair. When she was a child, her mother would comb her hair and sing to her to keep her from crying. I'm not much of a singer, but I do have hands.

"Whatever happens, the people of Lireo will fight for their queen. Do not lose hope. Lireans are strong."

"We can't stop Hagorn," she said. "Not in our numbers… I know what to do. But I will be gone for a while."

"What?" I blurted, involuntarily.

"Mashna, calm—"

"You can't leave us, Your Majesty! Your people need you! We need you!"

"Arkin!" She called. "Listen to me. I am not running away from duty. But it is duty that led me to this decision."

I calmed down. And I listened to my queen, as she asked.

"I'll come back," she said. Why would you leave? "Rama Hagorn has taken the gems of Alena and Pirena. He marches on to Sapiro and they don't stand a chance to the Hathorian King's powers. Same thing for us, I'm afraid. But Lireo cannot fall. I have to leave to find a way to win this war. I'll find more soldiers, or maybe weapons, I don't know. There was something a futureseer told me as a child— when I become the Queen and take over Mother's duties, my people will need me, but I will run away from the war. And the War will end because of that. I thought I will abandon my people, but now, I'm sure that I do not want to do such a thing, but leave, still I will— not out of cowardice, but of desperation. To search the worlds in the means of defeating Hathoria. I'll come home soon, and until then, defend it, Mashna Arkin."

I'll come home soon. The words of Alishka. The promise of the Queen and mine. What if this was the end of my journey? I would not be able to come back to my family. That is possible as I face it right before my eyes. What if the Queen is also facing this situation right now? Will she be able to come home, as I also promised Alishka that I will, too?

HA! The Hathorians circling us grunted as they marched forward with their swords and spears pointing at us.

My wounds at my sides, and an arrow, with, thanks to my armor, a quarter of its tip jabbed in my shoulder ache as blood ooze out. If I had the Gem of Earth, I could heal myself and my men, and maybe, we can withstand this predicament. We are all too tired to fight.

HA!A giant crown of thorns shrink as Hathorian soldiers marched torward us in the middle.

The ground beneath my feet gently trembles. Hagorn is riding to take the last gem not in his possession. With the Gems of Earth, Fire, Water and Wisdom, he would easily shatter the shield that protects Lireo from dark forces. But he will find nothing in Lireo. The Gem of Air is safely hidden in the heart of the sea, guarded by Sang'gre Alena, to whom Amihan entrusted her gem with before she left.

HA! Hathorians before us step forward. The tip of their spears inches away from our already-wounded flesh.

I remember my daughter once again. Will she weep for me if I do not return? Or will she keep on waiting for me, as I tortuously watch her from where the fallen go? Where our ancestors are weeping for us at this moment of our defeat? She is still too young to understand the mysteries of life and death.

I hear my soldiers pray to Bathala. "Emre, save us!" "Emre, give me strength!" "Emre, protect my family." Does He listen, though? We prayed for His blessing before the war. We prayed for his protection when we first learned of the Hathorian King declared war against the three other kingdoms of Encantadia. And I prayed that Hara Amihan returned to us the day she left on her airship. So, why are we here— our lives at the hands of our enemies?

A soldier beside me drops his sword and shield and falls into tears. "Oh, Bathala…" he cries. "I am so lost… forgive me my sins… I don't want to die!"

I kneel and slap his face to wake him up. "Soldier!" I bellow. "Get yourself together!" I put his sword back at his hand and prop him up; together we stand. He hopelessly reaches his hand to his shield on the ground, but "No," I said. "From here on, we can only fight." Then I roar the next words for all my soldiers to hear. "Did you hear that, Lireans? Drop your shields! Forget your own lives! Hold your swords with both your hands, and fight with me to the end! Our Hara is not with us, so do not fight this war in her name! Not in the name of Bathala, because he does not listen! But fight for your families and your home, whom Hagorn seeks to conquer! Fight for the future of our children, and all our descendants to come! They will sing songs about this day! About the mighty Lirean army who fought for their land against invaders! So, I ask you this, not as your commander, but as kin: Are you with me?"

"Yes, Sir!" The Lirean soldiers clamor with uplifted spirits.

Dropping my shield, I aim my sword in the air. "Will you fight with me, one last time, not as soldiers, but as brothers? As children of our fathers who were lost in this war? And as fathers of our children?"

"Yes!"

"Then, citizens of Lireo— defend your nation!"

I gazed into the Hathorians' eyes. Their Mashna— Verazi, whose skills in combat outnumbers even his old age. Suddenly, his own shield hits the ground, revealing his torn armor and open wounds. Next thing, the other Hathorians follow their leader and throws away their own, out of respect as warriors on a battlefield. They will fight us with all their strength, as we will them. It is an honor for us to fight these strong people, as it is an honor for them to hit blades with my brave soldiers. This admiration for each other led me to realize years ago that we were all the same. We just happen to find ourselves in different sides, under the command of different crowns.

I took the first leap forward. "IVO LIVE LIREOOO!"

My soldiers, my fellow citizens followed. "IVO LIVEEEEEEE!"

The grunting of soldiers. The clanking of swords. The bashing of armor and shields. The cutting of flesh. The rain of blood. I felt it all. This is war. Hathorians and Lireans— Encantadians battling each other for a war they had no intention of making. Life after life, my sword made orphans and widows out of my foes' families. This is war.

Our enemies outnumber us three-to-one, but the courage instilled in each Lirean soldier gives one the strength to match three opponents. But at this moment, it doesn't matter whether we win or not. We die fighting for our families, and for the future of our children. And that is enough for us. That is a tale we can tell Bathala when we come face to face in Devas. He shall hear our story and He shall be in awe of what we did today— how we perished, by the swords of fellow Encantadians who succeeded in securing a better future for their own descendants.

Through the Hathorians, I slashed and jabbed my way to Mashna Verazi. He also took many of my soldiers' lives. I take off my helmet to feel the cool breeze brought by the winds of Lireo. I'm done. If I survive this war, this will be my last.

Verazi and I met in the middle of the fighting crowd. We are surrounded by smoke and dust clouds with the sounds of swords and death. I brace myself, holding my blade with all my strength. Our eyes lock at a duel's invitation. We nod at each other, to show our mutual respect, and recognition as warriors on the battlefield. And then… we charge.

The Hathorian Mashna is cold and calculating. He moves with his swift and thin body through the air like a viper. I must not fall to his fangs. Verazi swings his curved, poisoned sword at me. I dodge his every blow, but I could not strike back. I start to think that I shouldn't have dropped my shield just then. He fights as his blood is still pumped for battle, while I have gone past that, and now I just want to rest.

I jump backwards, to open a space between us, so I can buy time to ready my weapon for an attack. I can't keep on evading his sword. I'm getting a little weary of it, too. Just to clash swords with him will be enough. As his head dragged his body towards me, I raise my blade to the sky, thinking of a little prayer to the gods to bless this one blow with their wisdom and guidance. I felt a cold jolt run through my stomach. I thought it was Emre, finally answering my prayers, but when I looked down, it was Verazi's dark eyes. His blade, thrust through my belly to my back. He pulls his curved, toothed sword that tore my flesh as he withdrew it. I feel the poison corrupt my insides, I fall to the ground, in twisting pain. But I'm not moving... I can't… The sky is so peaceful… so beautiful… I see the other side of the world… I see my fallen brothers whom I have led to their demise… I see my mother and father, weeping, both heartbroken, and proud… I have spent my life trying to protect my people… for my queen… I see… a winged man…

I can't take a good look at his face. He lands at my side, a sword in his hand cut Mashna Verazi in half. All who tries to come near me to finish the job meets the same fate with the winged man. Are you the one who guards and guides journeys to the other side? Did Emre send you to take my ivtre to Devas?

My winged savior casts a shield around us. He kneels before me and checks my wound. The poison from Verazi's sword has infected it. "Too late for first aid," the winged man says, lifting me up. "The shield won't last for long. I hope you don't get airsick."

He boosts us to the sky with his powerful legs and wings just when the shield he casted got broken. The light from the sky showed me his face. I've seen his kind before, fought side-by-side, even. I notice his left eye covered with a steel half-mask. He is a soldier who has been scarred by war. He is no Bathala-sent guardian who takes ivtres to the afterlife. He is a Mulawin, saving my life.

I catch a glimpse of the ground. Hathorians are running away from Lireo. But why? I turn my head upwards and see an army of different colors and shapes. Some in the air like the one who carries me, others on the ground. I can hear the earth tremble with their stampede. Dragonriders swoop from above and set Hathorians ablaze with their own kingdom's element. A nasty thing to watch, but this is war. And war is nasty.

"What is this?" I whisper. "How…"

The Mulawin smiles. "Look at the frontlines."

And there she is… The girl I trained. The woman I serve. The queen who left. The queen who returns. Hara Amihan roams through the battlefield, on a floating chariot pulled by a large bird. She drags behind her a gale of warriors, clearing enemies on every patch of land they touch. I try to jump to the ground. I want to fight. I want to fight alongside the queen. But it is only me thinking that she needs my help. She doesn't. As I watch her make her way towards conquerors, I see the queen she was always meant to be. With one swift sweep across the land, it was over.

I close my eyes, and I hear it all— the Lirean soldiers shouting victory… the women and children cheering for their queen and soldiers, but crying for those who they have lost.

I open my eyes, and I am on a bed, in my house. My daughter Elishka by my side... A teardrop appears in my eye. I'm home.