Chapter Twenty
"I think I'm ready, my Maria." Fox watched as his love, his life, sauntered up to him amidst a misty forest shrouded in the cloak of night. Only the moon reflected the beauty of his partner – fiancée on Terrestko, spouse for the afterlife.
"Fox, you need your sleep," she replied with a soft blink from her dark eyelashes.
"Tomorrow and the days to come will sap you of all the energy you have." Her strides slowed as she reached the loving arms of her mate.
Fox smiled as she fell into his grasp. The feel of her black and white dress sent thousands of memories shivering up his spine. "I'd rather stay here and talk to you, my love."
Maria's smile soon vanished as her deep, large eyes turned away. "I fear for you, Fox."
Fox paused. "Why?" he asked, using a tone of voice so delicate it was as if he were plucking off petals of a rose.
"I don't know right now," she replied. Her gaze lifted up to his. "I love you so much, and I know you love me just as much. I can't bear to see you in any pain."
"I feel the same way about you."
"I know, I still remember something you told me not too long ago. But I still fear for you, Fox. I don't know if you believe what has been revealed to you." She shook her head. "Deep down inside, I don't think you do."
"Maria," Fox began, "I am a guardian. I believe it. But it's more than a belief – it's a feeling, something that I know is true, like how the sun sets in the west and how the Almighty intervenes with all his work."
"You finally believe?"
"It's taken me months to accept what happened to me in the guardian temple back at the palace, but I am beginning to understand what it means. I… I'm the protector of these people, of all Unonians, including those who aren't vulpine. Something threatens Uno, and it's up to me to destroy it or be destroyed trying to do so. It's… it's my job, my destiny. My life is not my own."
The blue-furred vixen exhaled a relaxing sigh as her head fell upon Fox's chest. "You are a guardian after all."
With gentle hands, Fox stroked her beautiful hair as tears silently trickled down his warm face. Like he was afraid she would leave, he began to hold her head closer. "As are you, my love."
Maria looked up. "I don't understand." She stepped back hesitantly.
Fox smiled with warm appreciation. "You never gave up on me, Maria. If it weren't for your wish, I would've never become a mercenary and fought to save so many people. You protected me from certain death each and every day."
"I didn't do that, Fox!" she laughed nervously. "You know that."
Shaking his head, he inhaled a sigh. "I would die without you, Maria. You are my protection, my motivation, and my life. You are my guardian."
Maria sashayed up to her love and gazed into his green eyes. She softly fell into his grasp and moved her muzzle forward in anticipation. Fox bent down slightly with fervor pulsating through his strong heart as it beat like thunder ricocheting across the land. In an instant, with the energy of a firing cannon, with the determination of the mighty jaku tree, with the serenity of a peaceful sunrise over a forested hillside, with the ecstasy of one million years of sheer pleasure and comfort, their lips met for the first time since their horrible separation. Nothing could prepare either of them for the moment of ardor so intense it burned like a consuming fire in the cockles of their hearts. Infatuating passion seeped from their very beings, sending a shockwave of feverish love over the misty night. Energy flared within the two feeble souls as they continued their union at the mouth. Overcome with emotions, Maria collapsed into his arms, her frail body melted into his strong grip. Fox, with his lips touching hers so tightly he could no longer feel his, moved about with vehement madness, and could think of nothing else but her. True love burst from both hearts. Mysterious love surged to a climax.
A whirl of emotions encircled fox and vixen as they fell onto the grass and continued kissing each other, holding onto each other, loving each other. They expressed their love in ways even the most beautiful words in the Unonian tongue could not begin to describe. Fox became filled with untainted joy as he kissed and feverishly moved his arms around her as Maria scratched her thin fingers up and down his back. It was beauty at its fullest. Like nightfall on a miraculous day, they pulled their heads back and held each other in the grass with their eyes locked on the opposing gaze as their hearts beat in unison.
"I have to go now," Maria said with a hint of sadness resonating in her voice.
"I know," Fox replied.
She smiled hopefully. "Go to sleep now. When you wake, remember what happened. And always remember, do not fear, for I will be near and be with you all of the time."
"Thank you, my Maria."
No less than fifteen thousand Unonian Royal Army soldiers stood in attention on a cool, misty corridor covered with emerald green grass and lined with dense forests on both sides. Silently the overcast sky covered the sun, yet light still managed to peek through. The open land was only two miles wide, but was more than enough for the meeting of Careinian and Unonian troops.
Fox, who stood in front of the droves of men, gazed at them with unusual security. Uno's finest soldiers, wearing uniforms ranging from brand new to old and scarred, were aligned into three main groups but stood in no particular line or order. This was okay, though, as there was no cause for immediate alarm. Nevertheless, each soldier was dressed in the customary soldier uniform, which consisted of a brown plated tunic, a simple black sash across the chest, dark brown loose leather pants, and thick brown boots. Over their pants was a metal-plated skirt that went down to about halfway between the knee and ankle. Typical dress for a Unonian soldier meeting with a foreign force, the completely metal skirt was fashioned in four parts – two wrapping ribbed-plated sides along with two long single units on the front and back, with the front adorned with Unonian symbols painted in red, white, and black. Their faceplates hung loosely in gloved hands as they toted their weapon with the other.
Fox McCloud, the king of Uno and the presenter of his army, let his gaze wander down to his own attire, making sure he looked his best for the Carzinski. His metal-plated dark green tunic was spotless. Black boots – shiny and polished – fitted tightly under his loose dark brown pants, which were covered by a typical yet more elaborately painted metal-plated skirt. On his arms and hands were his steel gauntlets, an item that struck fear into any callous opponent. A loose, thin, short-sleeved black leather trench coat completed the ensemble. However, Fox wasn't too concerned with that. His most precious articles of clothing were his father's bandana and Maria's bracelet. He wouldn't dream of beginning the day without them.
With excitement pounding in his heart, the Chaljsko fighter turned to his advisor, Allensko McCasle. "Is everything in order?"
Allensko, wearing his fine royal robes of black, red, and white, nodded. "Of course. We're waiting on the arrival of three divisions of Slovokite cavalry, along with our own cavalry."
"People still fight on horseback?" Fox asked.
"Naturally, especially on the eastern side of Uno. We've only been doing it for four thousand years."
Fox nodded. "But no heavy armory, right?"
Allensko shrugged as he gazed out onto the open field in front of them. "Even if we did have tanks, there would be no way we could fit them all into this narrow stretch of land. It's all very well, though. The Careinians won't send any tanks to Uno because we both know the Mafia has none themselves. It's common sense – they don't want to use more than what they need. But what further complicates the matter is there will be no air support throughout the entire campaign."
"I knew that," Fox replied.
McCasle chuckled. "Being a former pilot, that must disappoint you, no?" He laughed, but soon stopped. "What's the matter? Are you okay?"
Fox stood completely still, but then scoffed as he shook his head. "I keep feeling like there's a Mafian ambush about to happen."
With a firm grip, Allensko squeezed Fox's shoulder. "Stop thinking that. You know very well the Mafians have no way of knowing this little meeting is taking place!"
"Unless someone told them."
McCasle shook his head. "Even if they did, they would be vanquished on this very field today. Their army is no match for our two armies, let alone the mighty Careinian army. Are you aware of what they've been doing over the past months?" Not even waiting for a response, McCasle continued. "They brought Hazardouse to its knees in just five days. Five days! After uniting Canvhis, they swept through their ally to the south, Armeznia, beat Ca'anthru into submission, sacked Ytria, conquered Avivania, and moved through Shtick. All in a matter of two months." He shook his head. "With your great mind working with his, this war should be over in a matter of weeks!" Smiling and laughing with joy, he began to slap Fox on the back. "Peace! Peace for the vulpine race! Can't you just taste it? Mmm, it's in the air this morning!"
Fox weakly grinned under the cloud-filled sky. A gentle breeze quickly filled the corridor, residing over the droves of men. "I hope you're right."
Suddenly, from the distance came the stomping of horses. Fox turned around and watched as the Unonian cavalry, numbering around three hundred, filed in on the sides of the three divisions. The thundering of hooves prompted the rest of the soldiers to cheer at their arrival.
"Most are still fighting in eastern Uno," McCasle said.
"How protected is the Mafian front?"
Bringing a hand to his muzzle, McCasle rolled his eyes to the sky in deep thought. "Well fortified. We shouldn't have a problem. Most of these troops are normally stationed on western Uno anyway. Especially Cavask."
More cavalry men stormed to the open corridor. This time it was the Slovokites, scampering up on horseback to the sides of the amassing of troops. Consisting of mainly raccoons, they screamed and hollered as they rode up to their positions, though the clinking of their padded green and blue armor made more of a noise.
"Why are they joining our army?" Fox asked.
McCasle nodded. "Two reasons. Firstly, they want a portion on the spoils of this war. Secondly, they hope to gain favor with Canvhis so their border with Hazardouse remains secure." He paused. "It makes sense. Plus, you allowed them to do so, remember?"
Biting his lip, Fox nodded apprehensively. "I know. Where is the remainder of the Chaljsko fighters?"
"You mean those that could come?" McCasle asked. Fox nodded. "Well, the most skilled ones arrived yesterday, but we have some still making their way to this field. I'd say about one hundred to three hundred showed up."
"I see. What about the nobles?"
McCasle smiled. "All of them showed. They're in the front lines commanding men from their provinces."
Fox paused as he gazed out to the misty landscape. "It's almost too perfect," he muttered.
Suddenly, from the far end of the cool, grassy corridor came the clatter of horse hooves. It was an unmistakable sound, as Fox and the rest of the men had already attuned it to the sounds of the last cavalry groups. However, as Fox squinted his eyes, he couldn't see who it was. Certainly the Careinian army would sound much bigger than that.
"Stand guard!" Fox shouted. With a jolt, he turned to Allensko. "Who's coming? Mafian scouts?"
McCasle put a hand to his brow. "Ytrian skunks!" he proclaimed in slight jest. "What are they doing here? And why are so many coming toward us?"
"Should we attack?" asked Fox with a hint of panic in his stern voice.
He waved a hand. "No. Ytrians don't do that. They must be confused. I'm sure they're only asking for directions or something. I hope."
Fox and his soldiers waited as the group, now fully visible amidst the mist and fog that began to roll in, rode in at an alarming rate. The leader, a skunk wearing a metal breastplate and torn pants, reared his horse and pulled at the reigns, causing it to let out a shrieking whine. Moving his leg out of the way, he hopped off his ride and approached Fox on bended knee.
"King of Uno, the Careinians are coming!"
McCasle nodded. "Of course they're coming. We're anticipating their arrival."
Another Ytrian rider tore up to Fox's position. His white and black tail was ragged and worn, probably from long ventures across the continent. "We rode in just ahead of them! They're moving in for an attack!"
"What?" Fox asked with a quick, jabbing syllable.
"Their notion of peace was to raid out towns, loot our people, and rape our women. Their army is as barbaric and ruthless as your Mafian problem. And they number in the thousands."
"How many exactly?" Fox quickly interrogated.
A young Ytrian skunk bowed his head in front of Fox. "From what we gathered, there are twenty-five divisions. Each Careinian division holds one thousand men, one hundred cavalry, and ten elite guardsmen, along with a slew of archers, flagholders, and ich'levungs."
Staggering slightly, Fox's heart sank into his bowls. His breathing trembled as he tried to determine what to say next.
"They've reverted to their old style of fighting," McCasle remarked in the calmest voice one could have in the given situation. "I take it there are no large guns, tanks, etc.?"
The young skunk shook his head violently. "No sir. Apparently, they feel this should be an easy conquest, just as the ones before them. None of our forces stood a chance against them."
McCasle nodded. "Typical Careinians. They believe it's romantic and valorous to fight with their old ways of battle. Yet, their pride and stubbornness hasn't doubted them yet. No army has survived a Careinian offensive for over four hundred years."
"I didn't need to hear that," Fox replied.
Suddenly, Jerimijo, who was no longer a palace guard, approached the group. "The UUO has arrived and hopes to join our army, man."
"Hey man," Todd McEdek puffed. "I have hundreds of citizens from Cavask hoping to be of service to the Unonian cause!"
"You?" McCasle asked.
"Yeah," Todd replied as he adjusted the sleeves to his short sleeve trench coat. "I decided I can't run from my past anymore."
Fox watched as the UUO, led by Rejklo, stormed up to the front of the group. Todd's group, which consisted of probably seven hundred men and some vixens, stood right behind the dark-clothed Chaljsko fighter, wielding anything from machetes to clubs to just their own bare fists. It was certainly a sight to be seen. "Todd, hide your group deep within the dense forests on my left. Jerimijo, you tell Rejklo, the leader of the UUO, that he is to move his numbers to the forests on the left as well. We can't afford to have those people enslaved too." Just as the two were about ready to walk away, Fox held up a hand. "Wait. We are going to war with Canvhis."
"What?" McCasle replied. Fox was surprised the anal vulpine finally began to show emotion. "We can't do that! If we lose, Cavask is dead meat!"
"Cavask is dead meat if we agree to let the Careinians infect this nation! We have to at least try to defeat them!"
"Our army isn't equipped for battle – all we have are just the minimum because we weren't anticipating a fight! Just enough for a small skirmish!"
"We don't have a choice," Fox spoke.
McCasle shook his head. "No. We will negotiate a peaceful settlement."
Growling, Fox backhanded his advisor with a forceful slap. "I know of Vladlov's method of negotiation. We must stop them entirely!"
The commanding Ytrian skunk, who still knelt in front of the vulpine king, snapped his head up to Fox's gaze. "Our cavalry will be at your disposal."
Silence soon fell across the group. The tension was nerve-wracking, the wasting of time just as maddening. Finally, Fox motioned for the men to come closer. "I have a plan. Move the left and right divisions to the woods on both sides of the corridor. The middle division we will leave as is."
"We will be gunned down for sure!" Todd warned.
"Not if we are quick. Remember, we also have guns. But we have something else too. We have time to plan. They don't know that we know of their attack. Therefore, I want the Slovokite cavalry hidden at the edge of the forest just at the start of the corridor. The rest of the cavalry will leave on my signal and will form two rows on either end of the edge of the forests. Once fighting begins, the Slovokite cavalry will take out their light infantry from the south. The Ytrians will follow suit from the sides."
"We're blocking them in," McCasle clarified.
Fox nodded. "Right. The middle division will spearhead forward as the other two divisions move in from the east and west. Hopefully, the confusion and quickness will deter the Careinians as their formations are cracked and infiltrated."
"We need something else," Norvethu, the residing noble of the territory, added.
"Well, we can't send for more weapons. That would take a day or two at best." Fox paused. "Each Unonian soldier has long pikes, right?"
"Two," McCasle confirmed. "Why?"
"How wet is the grass on the other side of the corridor?"
"Not as wet, but still coated in dew. Why?"
Nodding, Fox smiled slightly. "Tell the nobles and commodores to have their men light their pikes on fire and shoot them up in the air. With any luck, the Careinians will be just as flammable as I hope they are."
Jerimijo coughed slightly. "I'm going to tell Rejklo, man," he replied with a passive tone.
"Jeri, wait," Fox ordered. "What do you know about weaponry? You said you made bombs in Cavask, right?"
"I thought you weren't listening to me then, man." Jerimijo paused. "I can make bombs. Lots and lots of bombs from ikru wood and sap."
The vulpine king nodded. "Go with Rejklo and tell him you'll teach the men how to make bombs. Bring Todd's army with you. Tell him they will be under his command and to position his men on the right."
"I don't know if we have enough time to organize," Todd exclaimed. He gazed out to the thousands of men behind them then turned back to Fox. "It's almost like we will have to organize ourselves in the cover of the forests and pray to the Almighty they don't hear us."
"If the Almighty is on our side, then it will be done," Fox replied. He pointed to the forest on the left. "Position the men around the opposite side of the corridor, same with the other side. Once the middle division clashes with the Careinian forces, move both the east and west flanks in. Make sure the Slovokites sweep in at the same time too. The only thing we can hope for is to spread confusion." He paused. "The sooner we can meet the opposition, the less effective their guns will be."
"Careinians are excellent shooters," McCasle added.
"And we are excellent fighters." With a deep sigh, Fox gazed out onto the misty land, soon to be a bloody battlefield, and flew up a hand. "We have no choice. We have to go to war."
Moving rapidly through the foggy morning, the Unonians quickly adhered to the commands of the vulpine leader. Blocking the exit to the corridor was the middle division of Fox's army, along with the Unonian cavalry on either side. They looked impressive despite their diminished numbers. Everyone was given full warning of the attack, and the tension couldn't be any thicker, thicker than molasses and more uncomfortable than anticipating a childbirth. Even as the soldiers around the exit nervously coughed, not a word was spoken.
"What's taking them so long?" Norvethu barked. His swiftbike stood at his side.
"Please Norvethu, please," McCasle pleaded. "Give it time." He swallowed hard as his dark hair blew in the nonchalant wind. "I think I'd rather wait."
"Just get it over with," Todd muttered.
Suddenly, like thunder rumbling in the distance, heavy sounds flew into the corridor. Dulled metallic clinking mixed with the footsteps of soldiers in the distance. On the field, however, a heart beat in every soldier, a heart as heavy as lead and as exhausted as a man who never puts his head to rest.
"They're coming," Fox remarked.
Slowly the soft rumble grew into a clamorous beat, crashing down onto the once peaceful atmosphere. Harrowing winds blew down the open field, mixing with the terrors floating around in a fierce dance above the green. Unonian soldiers, shaking with fear, gripped their weapons tighter as the booming blasts grew louder and louder.
Fox himself agonized over the hellish beats that mocked and taunted at his very being. "Never forget – we are the Unonians." Shaking his head, he stood straight up and defiantly gazed out into the misty morn.
Like a gigantic clock ticking from the bowls of hell, the invading force was unavoidable. Unonian soldiers focused to the ground as it shook and clamored with each deafening beat. Pebbles and stones jumped in the emerald sea, along with the strings to their very souls.
"Look," Todd said with monotone disquiet.
From the distance, past the misty haze and overcast horizon, appeared soldiers pouring onto the field bordered by two great forests. Careinian soldiers, encased in metal and chain mail, stormed onto the battlefield in perfect fashion, marching to the beat of a single man – their leader, Vladlov II, who rode on horseback.
"My God," Norvethu trembled. "They just keep coming."
Stretching out for what seemed like ten miles abreast, the mighty foreign army tore into the Unonian countryside, looking more like a third forest of metal machines than a living, breathing force. Cold and uncaring, they continued to filter into the field, clanging through the open land. From the distance another group began to move in, adding to the dismay and despair of the feeble middle division, the only thing that stood between them and Uno.
"Take comfort, men!" one of the nobles volleyed over to the soldiers and commanding officers that drover their armies.
Fox tried to appear impermeable through the whole parade, yet his insides crashed against the walls of his chest like a raging storm in the middle of the deepest, darkest ocean. No sense of calm crept through his mind, and his arms secretly shook within the casings of his steel gauntlets. "The Almighty will protect us!" he shouted.
Minutes crept by like worms in a dry Unonian field as the Careinian troops were almost fully assembled. Just as the Ytrian horsemen had predicted, the great mass of troops was ungodly large. Behind Fox, the soldiers of the Unonian lands tried desperately to stay organized. No one was leaving, however, as to do so would mean death for one's family if the Unonian Army lost.
Finally, after what seemed like days but probably was only a half-hour, the mighty Careinian army, the conquerors of nearly a quarter of the continent, stood before Fox and the strength of the Unonian cause. It was a sight to be seen – a sea of men stretched miles into the distance and as wide as the open corridor would allow them to be. Each one looked well equipped, and stood like invincible grey statues among the green.
"They've arrived," Fox spoke in the eerie calm. He turned to Todd, whose hands shook violently despite his unchanging face. Jerimijo was next to him, on the ground and vomiting profusely. McCasle, who didn't move an inch from Fox's left, fearfully hyperventilated through his nose. Coughing slightly, Fox stepped forward to the center of the field to parlay. Frankjo often mentioned to Fox how important a parlay was to Careinians in battle, as it added to the "romance of war" and "selfish pride of their own strength." Sighing, Fox couldn't believe their thought process drove them to maddening masochistic pleasures such as that.
"Fox!"
Turning around, Fox spotted a noble he didn't really know very well.
"Take my horse and ride to the center please!"
The Chaljsko fighter turned king stepped up to the beastly animal and rested a metal foot on it. "I've never ridden a horse before," he confessed.
"It's okay, sir," the old vulpine man replied. He patted the animal's nose. "Piskra here has been a good horse to me. May she serve you well today."
"Thank you." Smiling as confidently as he could, Fox kept his gaze on the man as he mounted the steed and grabbed hold of the reigns with a tight grasp. A swift kick on the side was all he needed to make the animal gallop forward, catching Fox off guard slightly as he steadied himself to the center where the Carzinski and his high commodores waited anxiously. Following behind the vulpine king was a slew of Chaljsko fighters, nobility on horseback or swiftbike, and a handful of Fox's contemporaries.
"What's going to happen?" Todd asked as he tried to steady a horse loaned to him.
"We'll play dumb. He mustn't suspect a thing. Pass the word on."
Finally, the Carzinski was within audible range. Fox waited for the rest of his procession to make it to the parlay, yet his eyes never let go of the powerful Careinian king. Nothing could penetrate his deep gaze, as Vladlov II shifted his eyes nervously.
"I'm glad you could make it, Unonian guardian," Vladlov II greeted under a fake smile. "It's such a beautiful day in your land. It truly is blessed by God."
"When shall we start?" asked Fox.
The Carzinski nodded. "Ah yes, start. I believe you can start by surrendering your pitiful army to me."
"What?"
"Did you honestly think I would side with you in a dream of uniting the continent? Of course not! We are the Careinians – everything belongs to us! Thousands of years ago we occupied the entire continent, and it is our manifest destiny to reclaim that status!"
"Careinian dog!" Todd shouted.
"Shut up, clack!" Vladlov II hissed.
Fox dropped his jaw for added effect. "I don't understand."
"Sadly, pulsok king, history has dealt you a poor hand. Now, kindly move your band aside so we may march through."
Fox shook his head. "Never. We are not cowards. We will fight for our people."
Laughing under a face full of ecstasy, the wallabean king could barely keep his eyes open. "You have barely any cavalry. Your numbers are astronomically lower than my fearless fighting force. You are totally unprepared. And our army hasn't witnessed a failed offensive for over five hundred years."
"Four hundred. Ever since your last campaign in Uno."
Vladlov II turned to McCasle. "Whatever, bloodsucker."
"What?" a noble inquired.
McCasle rolled his eyes. "We drink animal blood, they call us names. Go figure. Typical immature inbreeds."
The Carzinski turned to Fox and gave him a grave glare. "Only an insane man would dare attack me." As silence soon fell on the parlay, the Careinian king became edgy. "Fine. If it's a war you want, then you will agree to my terms. Remove this army from the corridor, and you will receive governing rights over Cavask."
Fox rode his horse directly into that of Vladlov's, giving him an intimidating glare. "You are on my nation's soil. You will agree to my terms and my terms only." Before the Carzinski could speak, the vulpine king continued. "These are my terms: leave Uno and beg the forgiveness of the people your goons have oppressed. If you disagree, then you will lose this contest. Your black soul will fall into the depths of hell. Animals from both sides of this corridor will come out and defecate on your body. Looters will strip you of all your clothes and expose all your deficiencies, but will cower away at your maggot-encrusted face." Fox paused. "You bastard."
Though his own word's surprised him, Fox could tell Vladlov II was furious. Without a word, the affluent Carzinski jolted his white horse back and rode directly to his army. Gazing out to the invading force one last time before battle, the vulpine fighter quickly rode back to his camp.
"I wanted to kill him there," Todd said.
Fox shook his head. "Let him do that himself. Just make sure you have everything ready."
The mist in the cool, dewy air graced the Unonian landscape with unabashed serenity. However, to those who stood in defense, those who wore the black, red, and white on their hearts, nothing serene could be appreciated. Through the din and confusion, it was hard enough to gather one's bearings or say a lasting prayer – a prayer that could be the very last one in the mortal life.
"Todd," Fox began as he neared the Unonian front line, "you seem to retain knowledge very well. Therefore, could you do me one favor?"
"Anything," Todd replied with perturbed assurance.
"If I do not make it in battle, or come up missing, remember this number: 7445-924. Do you have it down? 7445-924. Memorize it and etch it onto your mind. If I fall in battle, that number becomes very important."
"I will not forget that number – but I need not memorize it."
As soon as the party met the middle division, Fox dismounted his beastly ride and led the steed to its proper owner. But, as soon as he turned around to view the threat to the south, a massive eruption of voices blazed across the open corridor, blasting across the green with an outburst so loud it drowned out even the most potent of nearby noises. It was the mighty Careinian army, screeching and hollering in anticipation of battle, screaming across the battlefield like shrieking banshees hungry for souls.
Fox, who tried to ignore the ominous force, melted to his knees as an array of priests cascaded onto the open field. Performing the sign of the cross, he, along with the might of men behind him, spoke to the Almighty over the yells and deranged screams. As soon as the prayer had finished, Fox rose to his feet in a leap and quickly turned around to his men.
"What does it mean to be Unonian?" he inquired. "Is it our fur, the way our ears point to the Almighty, or our tails forever stained by the blood of our ancestors? No, that can't be – some humans are Unonians too. Is it our residence, the penciled-in borders that forever dance in the bitter game controlled by warlords? Impossible! To be Unonian can be summed up in one word – love! We love our people and gladly fight for them with honor and brazen determination. The Almighty loves us and blesses us with his gentle hands, cradling our souls in his deep, warm grip. The Unonian winds and green countryside wrap us in love, blessing us with food and rain. We are the love, for we have been loved so dearly and give love so freely." He paused as his chest heaved in and out air. "Fight for this love! This love that we've worked our entire lives for! For the Almighty, for our families, for our culture, for our very own souls! If we refuse, then who will?"
"But if we fight, we'll surely die!" McCasle, now wearing Fox's bestowed gauntlets, blurted abruptly within earshot of the vulpine king. Muttering and murmurs spread like an infectious disease across the group.
"It's better to die underneath a Unonian sky than that of another land!" Todd cried.
"Would you rather die on the battlefield or agonize as your heart dies from watching people you could have protected, people you could have saved, stand in anguish as their very beings are severed to nothing? Would you rather live the remainder of your life enslaved by Careinians, working for them, living for them, dying for them?" Watching with piercing green eyes, the Chaljsko fighter reeled his army to full attention. "Never. We are the Unonians. We are 'the most blessed nation.' We fight for what we believe in and never give up. And, the Almighty watching, if I give up fighting for you and all of Uno, may this vulpine soul be destroyed."Catching his breath once more, Fox retracted his guardian staff. "Uno is counting on us! You families' fate rest in your hands!"
"For God, for life, for Uno!" Vetro shouted. He pumped a fist into the air as the soldiers began to cheer.
"You have the strength to destroy the evil! You have what it takes to fight passionately for what is right! You are Unonians! Fight like you've never fought before! Believe in yourself! Listen to your feelings! Let the Almighty guide you! Then, only then will you walk off this battlefield a free and changed man. Then and only then will these Careinians fall face first into their own concoction of lies and pride! For Uno! Are you with me?"
Waves of cheers cascaded onto the open field, adding to the noise created by the fierce Careinian force. It was as if nothing could shake the foundation of any single Unonian soldier at that point. They were heavily outnumbered, lacking in advanced weapons, and shaken right to their very souls, yet faith and love for Uno and its people pulsated from their bruised hearts.
"What are they doing?" McCasle asked. "Look! Mafians!"
From the sides of the opposition rose Mafian troops, filing in front of the invading foes. Their chain mail glistened in the dew, and their typical brown attire further confirmed the anal fox's warning. In an instant, roughly three long rows of tightly-stacked Mafian troops fell into the Careinian lines.
"It was a trap all along!" Allensko cried. "We can't fight both!"
"Enough," Fox commanded. His attention was on the activity stirring from the Careinian encampment. Skilled archers fisted their way to the front of the line and quickly formed a long line snaking across the front of the push. With great passion for their profession, they performed a last-minute check on their deadly weapons.
"Take cover!" Fox shouted. "Chaljsko fighters to the front!"
Behind the vulpine king, the roughly five thousand men donned their faceplates and crouched, putting their arms over their head and using the metal-plated skirts to shield their bare appendages. Without a spoken word, the Chaljsko men approached the front line and stood side to side, standing evenly spaced among the mass of troops behind them. In an instant, a single, wet-sounding bellow came from the Careinians, and thousands upon thousands of arrows flew across the overcast sky. Like deadly rain, they would have fallen onto the Unonian troops with deadly accuracy. However, virtually all of the piercing blows were blocked, as the Chaljsko faithful gracefully threw their staffs high into the air, deflecting the raid with unusual accuracy. While there were those that zipped into an unlucky soldier, all in all, the first wave was a dismal failure for the Carzinski and his men.
Catching his staff in mid-air, Fox raised his weapon above his head with a single clenched fist and released a loud scream. The remainder of the Unonians followed as their voices grew into one giant, ear-splitting cry. Fox, who wasted no time, commenced the advancement as his metal legs sprinted in the wet grass, his boots pushing against the soft soil that had a lot of give. The clinking sounds of his metal-plated skirt and tunic accompanied him as he rushed to the Careinian front, his men not far behind. Not a single shot was fired.
As the Unonian cavalry surged past the infantrymen, Fox noticed vulpine Careinian fighters rapidly approaching his group. No doubt they were defectors, as their guns were not drawn and their hands stood straight up into the air. Unonian in blood, they would never fight against their own nation. However, as soon as Fox's men approached the first defector, a single shot by a disgruntled Careinian warrior struck the backside of a surrendering vulpine. As he sunk to the ground, both sides quickly opened fire and erupted into all-out war.
"Keep moving!" Fox shouted.
The Careinians – the advantage strongly in their court – took out throngs of Unonian soldiers with ease. With the defenders running toward the imperial might of Canvhis and their guns not as advanced, many were quickly brought down. Yet, when the first Unonian soldier met the enemy, the advantage quickly fell into the hands of the Unonians. Quick and skilled, the passionate fighters fought on a diet of motivation, love, and an overall avoidance of enslavement. Gunfire slowed to a halt as the two armies clashed together tightly.
Blood flew across the battlefield as common as the misty dew that plagued the land. Screams, clanging of swords, bursting of firearms, and metal clinking increased with each passing second. The emerald green grass, now teeming with mud and the red liquid of the living, soon became populated with dying men. Like a flood of death rising from underneath, hundreds of soldiers perished within the first minute.
"Die, you bastard!" Todd screamed as he drove his staff directly into the metal breastplate of an irate Careinian.
Fox brought his first kill to his knees as the decapitated head flew high into the air, billowing out blood like a wet pinwheel through air. Wasting no time, the long, sharp blades swam through the soft belly of a Mafian, squirting blood in all directions. Running deeper into the lines, his accurate swings brought yet another Careinian to the ground, his smashed head split like a broken egg. Broken eye sockets, sliced necks, bones torn out of their skin shelters, and waves of blood soon followed. One by one, enemy troops fell victim to the ancient weapon.
Screams and cries littered the battlefield as the Unonian middle division struggled to break through the Careinian lines. The vulpine cavalry swooped onto the battlefield, bringing bereavement in their strong hands. Like the blackened fruits of death, they poured terror and pandemonium into the hearts of the Careinian faithful, leaving behind a trail of bloodshed. No invader was safe.
But where was the Careinian cavalry? As Fox sliced an enemy at the knees, the appendages now shaking involuntarily, he had just enough time to glance up at the river of men before him. In the center of the contest was the cavalry, but because of the tight formations of the Careinians, they were literally trapped behind their own men. Easy targets, they fell victim to Unonian gunfire.
From the left and right came the screams of ten thousand Unonian troops, completely catching the invading force by surprise. Armed with swords and alcohol-laden pikes, they quickly broke through the chinks in the Careinian formations. Pikes, soon lit with fire, sailed into the middle of the Careinian force and ravaged their numbers with deadly accuracy. Fires erupted across the battlefield as screams combated with the surrounding clamor The Unonian army looked to be in control.
"Keep moving!" Fox screamed to his men as the front line of Careinian soldiers, the strongest and most skillful, began to weaken at a fast rate and retreat deep within their numbers. As a sword struck the metal skirt of the vulpine leader, he sliced off the arm of his assailant, letting him fall to the ground and be trampled to death by his own men. Confusion was a mild word to describe the air of the corridor. Blood flew across the overcast sky as the clanging of swords rang out, reverting to the ancient tones of the fighters from long ago. Fires engulfed throngs of trespassers. Thousands of Unonians, with passion burning in their hearts, pierced through the once invincible Careinian cause, destroying their reputation of order and confidence.
Fox, who suddenly found himself near the center of the battle, leapt over a dead Careinian man encased in metal armor and pushed deeper into the contest, leading his men along the way. From all sides came enemy strikes, yet the Chaljsko fighter was able to handle them. Just as soon as he chopped off the head of one killer, he reached around and vanquished another right before the blood of the gaping neck spattered on his red fur.
Yet something was horribly wrong. "There's… too many of them!" Vetro shouted just as a burly Careinian troop fatally severed his spine with a great axe. Men next to him soon perished. Fox turned his back away just in time to evade a Mafian strike, but the man next to him wasn't as lucky. True to his feeble vulpine form, he whipped his tail out of the way and smashed through a line of defensemen, slashing through the stiff chain mail like an oarsmen through threatening water.
Fox, though his skills were crystallized and his passion burned the enemy men into submission, was just one man. As his staff slashed through the backside of a brawny Careinian officer, his left arm was skinned by a flimsy swing of a Mafian veteran. Holding his arm while gritting his teeth, the vulpine king quartered the man in two swings immediately after crushing a wallaby's head in.
"Fight for your lives!" Fox shouted among the pandemonium. A stray arrow wedged its way into Fox's backside, but he was in too much trouble to worry about it. With a hard slash, he tore his staff directly through the spinal cord of a Mafian assailant, his back contorting as the thick red marrow oozed out. Immediately there after, he blocked gunfire with the metal handle to his staff and pushed deeper in for the kill.
Hellish shrieks of anguish and terror continued to litter the premises, the cries for mercy and pain driving men to insanity. Unonian soldiers, their hopes of seeing a victory against the Careinians, were fading. The numbers were too great. Although thousands of Careinians had probably perished, thousands still remained in the fire-laden, pike ridden landscape. Hundreds of Unonian men were torn by the overwhelming resistance. Even the Slovokite and Ytrian horsemen, the blockers of the south end, looked to be fading and falling out of formation.
Finally, after the left flagman waved his large banner, the UUO, with the volunteer force of Cavask citizens, joined the contest. Fox perked his ears up and glanced just in time to see Rejklo lead more men to battle. The UUO, the most ill-prepared force yet, clashed with the Careinian might in an instant.
"Push forward!" Fox commanded from the north end of battle. His footing slipped on the blood-laden grass, but he kept his balance and trudged forward.
"I hear the Slovokites have already been taken!" Todd shouted. He pushed himself next to Fox as more Careinian soldiers filled in. "The south end was where most of the Mafian troops were!"
Fox clenched his teeth as Mafians and Careinians fell victim to his staff. "How is the west end?"
"Terrible!" Todd split the jaw of his opponent, ripping the skin off the man's face with ease. "The left division was doing well with the pikes, but their power to hold them has faded!" He heaved in and out air. "Kral Commodore McLerive is leading the Mafians!"
"What?" Fox stabbed his weapon through a Mafian eye socket, then reached around just in time to prevent a wallaby soldier from stabbing him in the back. "Follow me!"
In an instant, the vulpine king slashed his weapon against the body of a thick Careinian, then used the cadaver to jump over a collection of soldiers. From his left, Fox could see flaming pikes shot from both ends of the forest – a godsend for a failing defensive. Their most prolific weapon, the Unonian pike, showered onto the center of the Careinian men doomed by their own tight formations and annihilated flocks of enemy troops with each howling stick.
Fox now found himself at the eastern edge of the contest, in the heat of the spray with the mixture of Careinian, Mafian, UUO, and Unonian Royal Army soldiers. It was a confusing mess. Bodies, some charred by the effects of the pikes, littered the ground in a sea of blood and grass. Men from both sides of the battle acted quickly as UUO faithful continued to pour from the wooded enigma just a few acres away, hurling or shooting long, lightweight pikes into the Careinian force and clashing their swords or whatever they held tightly against the might of their enemies. The Careinians, on the other hand, fired blindly into the woods, often times shooting their own men in the process. But, as Fox sliced the neck of a decorated general, the numbers still proved to be overwhelming.
However, an intriguing sight caught the attention of the Chaljsko fighter. A lone flagman stood apprehensively as soldiers passed by him. Running up to the man, Fox remembered the second punch of the UUO – the grenades Jerimijo and others had supposedly taught them to make.
"Wave the flag!" Fox shouted.
Before the man could, he was brutally gunned down by a Careinian on horseback. With a frustrated growl, Fox yanked the banner from his cold, dead hands and waved it back and forth as high as he could. Then, with an immediate jerk, he lowered the red and back flag and stabbed an armored Careinian in the chest with the pointed top.
Without any time lost, a hailing of handmade grenades streaked across the sky, landing deep within Careinian territory. As if the forests were bleeding troops, the UUO continued to push forward just in time to see the spoils of their progress explode across the battlefield. As hundreds of bombs burst, thousands of the Carzinski's men must have died.
Fox turned to Todd, who watched in amazement at the spectacular explosions. "Let's go! We have to find the Carzinski and force a retreat!"
Todd quickly shook his head and followed the vulpine king in hot pursuit. Surprisingly, it didn't take long to reach the southern edge of the contest. Mafian soldiers were much more prevalent here than at any point of the battle. Yet they were failing miserably, as the Unonians found them easier to kill than armored Careinians, apparently.
"Watch your back!" Fox shouted.
The black-clothed fox ducked under an impressive swing by a Mafian officer. Wasting no time, Fox jabbed the blades of his guardian staff into the back of the man's neck and continued to quickly drive it forward until it came out the other side. Then, with a furrowed brow, he slashed the stomach of another assailant. Fox had no idea how many he had killed thus far, but it had to be in the hundreds, he assumed. I'd say about two to three hundred, maybe four. But even so, four hundred out of about thirty thousand isn't very impressive. Oh Maria, please help me!
"There they are!" Todd shouted under a barrage of bullets.
Gazing up to a hill outside of the corridor, Fox spotted the Carzinski, Vladlov II, along with his partner, Kral Commodore McLerive. In an instant, Fox's legs propelled him to their location, with Todd not far behind. Any soldier who dared to obstruct the path was met with a quick, swift death.
The Carzinski lifted a single finger and pointed it directly at Fox. Suddenly, McLerive's steed came galloping toward Fox, moving its legs as fast as the Unonian wind winding around the Ta'lavero Mountains on a wintry eve.
"Traitor!" Todd shouted.
"Die, you infuriating fools!" McLerive bellowed from deep within his large chest. He drew a large sword.
Fox waited until the man was only inches from claiming his prize. Then, with rapid reflexes, he yanked at the boot of the vulpine turncoat and slammed him down to the ground with his powerful grasp. The horse, now spooked, began to whine and scream terrifyingly as it barreled off into the distance. As soon as the kral commodore stood and laid eyes on the Unonian fox, his forehead met the blades of Fox's staff, producing a loud, wet crack. Fox twisted his staff to split the man's head in half as his limp body began to involuntarily shake and contort as if fell from the sharp metal. A quick stamp on his head put a stop to any movement.
In an instant, Fox grabbed his staff and started out for the Carzinski once more. "Pull your armies back or you will die right now!"
An expression of petrified fear fell onto the wallaby's visage. "N-never!" Suddenly, his face morphed into a more confident one. "You'll have to survive first!"
Fox felt a hand on his shoulder. "What is it, T-"
As Fox turned around, his entire self froze. General Bronson McRasko, the leader of the Mafian cause and perhaps the most wicked man in all of Uno, stood right behind the Chaljsko fighter. Slowly he grinned a rotten, vile grin that stretched across his disfigured muzzle. "Welcome, McCloud. Do you remember what I advised you on our last summit?"
"Finish him off!" Vladlov II screamed from his protected position.
Fox looked behind the dark vulpine and noticed Todd was lying unconsciously on his stomach, collapsed on the ground. Any hopes of a two-pronged attack was now lost. Turning to his arms, which looked to be scabbing over, he looked up at McRasko. "You don't scare me any more."
Cackling with vexing delight, the general gazed at Fox with deep, dark eyes. "Of course. You have discovered the blood of guardians undulating in your heretic veins. But you would be foolish to believe its validity. You were a slave. You are not royalty. You are merely entertaining a scheme assembled by men much more powerful and authoritative than your feeble self. They truly insinuate demise for you. It is only an imprudent dream."
With his green eyes staring directly into his opponent's gaze, Fox gravely nodded. "It is a dream. But it's a reality if I believe it to be so!" Like a raging fire blazing at the speed of light, Fox pushed McRasko directly into a tree. But he never touched him. And the tree was probably about three hundred feet away. As his gaze trickled down to his hands, he noticed they were shaking horribly, so horribly that the blood on his fur spattered all over the place. Shaking his head, Fox ran toward the vile vulpine with steadfast determination.
"You killed my family!" Another swipe of his hands into the misty air caused McRasko to slam into a dying jaku tree with a force so hard the tree split into half. Walking up to where he laid, the Chaljsko fighter fixated his piercing green eyes onto the beaten man. McRasko for the first time looked to be in agonizing pain, pain so great all he could do was watch the Unonian vulpine. "You killed my Maria!" In a flash the general tumbled across the ground until his smacked directly into a tree stump. His head flung back from the hellish whiplash. Then, with hands laden with blood, Fox lifted his opponent off the ground and flung him toward himself, just in time to meet his boney fist. The blast, so intense it must have broken the general's face in six places, caused the black-hearted vulpine to fly backwards and smash into the green ground.
Fox suddenly fell to the green floor, his limbs shaking with blood. Gazing down at his figure, he noticed blood was all over his pants and tunic, as cuts had emerged from something he couldn't understand. His arms were greased in the red liquid. It was as if each blow to General McRasko had sliced gashes into his skin and drawn every once of energy from his body, as if the energy burst from his seams.
"Get him, Fox!" chimed Vladlov II. "W-what?"
From a grassy knoll emerged a beaten Bronson McRasko. He cracked his thick knuckles with ease as his large, dark boots clomped in the dewy grass. "You've improved in your adroitness. But now you shall be crushed!" Fox held up a hand as the general rapidly moved toward the bloody vulpine.
"Fox!" Vladlov II shouted.
Fox turned around to view the Careinian. "Leave while you still can!" he cried as a bubble of blood burst from his mouth.
Atop his horse, the Carzinski pulled at its reigns and galloped toward the battle, which looked bloodier and fiercer than ever. It was impossible to tell who was winning, or if the Unonians had already been defeated.
"Death comes to such a young man," McRasko mocked with his slithering tongue. "Yet all those people died before you. Shameful you are to them all." A fierce jab to the upper chest sent Fox flying in the air until he tumbled onto a grassy hill.
"Foolish prodigy!" Just as Fox lifted himself up to his knees, the large, burly man decked him square in the stomach. For all Fox knew, it could have been a great train plowing into his side or the strength of one thousand men throwing themselves at him. As the Chaljsko fighter slammed into the ground, an opening gash on his tongue finally split, painting his teeth in the red liquid. He was covered in blood.
"Yes! Yes!" McRasko cheered. "It is coming true after all!" From his cavernous body came a demonic squeal. "Today you will be destroyed after all." He paused as his two booted feet stood directly in front of Fox's collapsed body. "Yes, Bronson Kirik McRasko sold his mortal soul for the McRasko line to embrace Uno's providence in its hands. Now Mephistopheles' pact is validated."
Propping himself up with shaky limbs, Fox stared helplessly as blood dripped from his muzzle. Suddenly, from deep within his ears, he detected Maria's voice, the softness sounding almost as if she was whispering right next to him. It will never happen to him, Fox. Be strong. Fight with love, not hate. And believe, Fox. It is all revealed if you believe.
Fox shook his head and glared at his opponent."Your agreement is flawed, McRasko. Uno is not yours – it is within the hearts of all who love. You can never have that, nor the nation. For Uno is not evil, it is good."
Disgruntled and perturbed, General McRasko growled with a tone so low it sounded as if the gates of hell were creaking open. "The crown of Uno belongs to me!"
Fox's right hand was slipping. He moved it up just in time as the bracelet dripped dark red blood from its cut jade. "You know it doesn't. It never will."
"No," McRasko muttered. "Of course not. Although a dictatorship can overthrow a sovereign." Another blow to Fox's chest knocked him over the hill and toppled him down the summit.
I love you, Fox, Maria's voice soothed.
It's not time, Fox, Frankjo warned.
My little man, his mother's voice consoled, your love is so great.
You've become so strong, son, his father's voice echoed warmly.
Fox smiled slightly as McRasko picked him up with two grotesque hands. "Now you will die!" A final gut-wrenching punch to the stomach sent Fox directly onto the ground. He couldn't get up anymore – his energy was gone. His eyes felt heavy as his breathing slowed. All he could do was listen, just listen for the tones of his sweet love, the tones that calmed his soul and moved him back to the times of a better day, when he was with her and played with her until the stars populated the darkened sky:
Oh tell me where the wild rose grows, and I will kneel down with you, and we will pray to the Father above, and give thanks for life anew. We will live, us, together in love, until the time comes when we die, but do not fear, for I will be near, and be with you all of the time.
How wonderful it was.