Chapter 5: Corneria's Knight
I've been in many battles, fought in many wars, and always fought as hard as I could to protect Corneria. So is the duty of the Cornerian Knights, the strongest force on the continent. Many a force tried to conquer our town, but we defeated them. Only one force could ever stand up to us, and that was the force of Chaos.
When I was younger, I trained very hard to become that which I am today. The training was quite rigorous, however, as my trainer was very strict. I was to give my all everyday, so that when the time came, I would be a great fighter. Many years passed, and my mother was taken by a harsh illness. The loss really hurt, but the training continued, and with time came strength.
"Arren," he said, "you have trained well, but you still need more practice!"
"Yes I know father," I said, "but when will it be enough? When will I finally be a knight?"
"Silence. You will know when the time comes."
"Yes, father."
The training continued until a neighboring kingdom attacked us. Our forces were matched, and many had died in the raging battle. My father had enlisted me in the Cornerian army, so I was in the front lines. Before I left for battle, however, my father gave me a crystal, and said it would give me good luck. That war was hell, just as those before it. There was something about the enemy however that gave me an odd feeling. The opposing army was somehow different, but I couldn't quite tell what it was. As the battle raged on, the Cornerian Knights against an unknown army, things kept getting stranger. The soldiers' eyes seemed to glow, and the sky became darker. That's when it hit me, that we were fighting demons in disguise.
Our leader, General Archer Mintaro, noticed this as well, and called for a retreat. "Retreat men," he yelled, "for our enemies are not human! Regroup! Regroup!" Most of the soldiers stayed to fight, and many of them lost their lives because of it. "We can't win this way," he continued to shout. "Regroup!" I stayed and watched the onslaught, petrified with fear that I could be sent to the afterlife as well. As I stood there, afraid, I saw a demon soldier running toward me, brandishing a sword engulfed in fire.
"Dammit, no!" I exclaimed as I held up my shield. The demon soldier swung his fiery sword at me, sending my shield flying behind me. As I returned to my senses, I tried to fight him off sword to sword, but I could feel my sword heating up to the point that I had to drop it. I stopped, looking at the demon's eyes. It was the most horrific sight I had seen. Closing my eyes, thinking I was going to die, I heard something like an arrow hit someone. I opened my eyes, and saw the enemy grasping the arrow that had been shot into him as he fell to the ground. I quickly turned around and began to regroup with the others. The white mages of our army began to cast fog spells so we could escape, and we ran back to a safe distance to plan our next attack.
"General Mintaro," I asked, "how can we defeat these demons?"
"That depends on how they became demons," he replied. "If they are undead, we'll have our white and red mages to cast Dia on them. Otherwise we'll need the white mages to cast Protes and the red mages to cast Strike on our troops."
"That can't work General Mintaro," said a fellow soldier. "The enemy soldiers are far stronger than any other army we've faced. We're going to need more than that, especially after losing so many soldiers!"
"Well then, what do you expect us to do?"
He stood silent for a moment, and said, "I understand sir."
"Anyone have an idea about what we can do?"
"Has any of the red mages tried using magic?" another soldier asked.
"Yes," General Mintaro replied, "in fact the mages almost collapsed because they cast as many spells as they knew."
"And no weaknesses were found?"
"There were none. These people seem to be immune to magic."
"People immune to magic?" another exclaimed. "That can't be!"
"That's what we have," General Mintaro stated. "Any other ideas?" Everybody remained silent for a long time, then he said to us with his eyes to the ground, "Then I guess we have no choice but to attack head on." That's when I remembered something my father told me about the crystal I wore around my neck.
"General," I asked, "would you mind to take a look at something?"
"Will it help us win this battle, Arren?" he asked me.
"It may, though I'm not sure if it means anything."
"Then come forth." I approached him, removed the crystal from around my neck and handed it to him. As he held it, his eyes widened, and he began to question me. "How did you obtain this?"
"It is an heirloom of my family. Why do you ask? Can it help our cause?"
"Indeed it can, but I'm going to need you to do something for me."
"What is that?"
"Take this crystal, and keep it with you at all times. Guard it with your life. You'll be going frontline again."
"What?" I exclaimed. "You want us to go back out there?"
"Yes I do, and I want you in lead," he said. "Everyone, we're going back out. Mages, heal when necessary, and cast Invisi on our troops when you can. The rest of you, fight like you've never fought before!"
"Yes sir!" we exclaimed as we ran out to the battlefield. The crystal that my father had given me was more than a gem apparently, but what could it do in this battle? Why did General Mintaro send me as the leader? I hope he knows what he's doing, because this could very well be the end of Corneria.
I've been in many battles, fought in many wars, and always fought as hard as I could to protect Corneria. So is the duty of the Cornerian Knights, the strongest force on the continent. Many a force tried to conquer our town, but we defeated them. Only one force could ever stand up to us, and that was the force of Chaos.
When I was younger, I trained very hard to become that which I am today. The training was quite rigorous, however, as my trainer was very strict. I was to give my all everyday, so that when the time came, I would be a great fighter. Many years passed, and my mother was taken by a harsh illness. The loss really hurt, but the training continued, and with time came strength.
"Arren," he said, "you have trained well, but you still need more practice!"
"Yes I know father," I said, "but when will it be enough? When will I finally be a knight?"
"Silence. You will know when the time comes."
"Yes, father."
The training continued until a neighboring kingdom attacked us. Our forces were matched, and many had died in the raging battle. My father had enlisted me in the Cornerian army, so I was in the front lines. Before I left for battle, however, my father gave me a crystal, and said it would give me good luck. That war was hell, just as those before it. There was something about the enemy however that gave me an odd feeling. The opposing army was somehow different, but I couldn't quite tell what it was. As the battle raged on, the Cornerian Knights against an unknown army, things kept getting stranger. The soldiers' eyes seemed to glow, and the sky became darker. That's when it hit me, that we were fighting demons in disguise.
Our leader, General Archer Mintaro, noticed this as well, and called for a retreat. "Retreat men," he yelled, "for our enemies are not human! Regroup! Regroup!" Most of the soldiers stayed to fight, and many of them lost their lives because of it. "We can't win this way," he continued to shout. "Regroup!" I stayed and watched the onslaught, petrified with fear that I could be sent to the afterlife as well. As I stood there, afraid, I saw a demon soldier running toward me, brandishing a sword engulfed in fire.
"Dammit, no!" I exclaimed as I held up my shield. The demon soldier swung his fiery sword at me, sending my shield flying behind me. As I returned to my senses, I tried to fight him off sword to sword, but I could feel my sword heating up to the point that I had to drop it. I stopped, looking at the demon's eyes. It was the most horrific sight I had seen. Closing my eyes, thinking I was going to die, I heard something like an arrow hit someone. I opened my eyes, and saw the enemy grasping the arrow that had been shot into him as he fell to the ground. I quickly turned around and began to regroup with the others. The white mages of our army began to cast fog spells so we could escape, and we ran back to a safe distance to plan our next attack.
"General Mintaro," I asked, "how can we defeat these demons?"
"That depends on how they became demons," he replied. "If they are undead, we'll have our white and red mages to cast Dia on them. Otherwise we'll need the white mages to cast Protes and the red mages to cast Strike on our troops."
"That can't work General Mintaro," said a fellow soldier. "The enemy soldiers are far stronger than any other army we've faced. We're going to need more than that, especially after losing so many soldiers!"
"Well then, what do you expect us to do?"
He stood silent for a moment, and said, "I understand sir."
"Anyone have an idea about what we can do?"
"Has any of the red mages tried using magic?" another soldier asked.
"Yes," General Mintaro replied, "in fact the mages almost collapsed because they cast as many spells as they knew."
"And no weaknesses were found?"
"There were none. These people seem to be immune to magic."
"People immune to magic?" another exclaimed. "That can't be!"
"That's what we have," General Mintaro stated. "Any other ideas?" Everybody remained silent for a long time, then he said to us with his eyes to the ground, "Then I guess we have no choice but to attack head on." That's when I remembered something my father told me about the crystal I wore around my neck.
"General," I asked, "would you mind to take a look at something?"
"Will it help us win this battle, Arren?" he asked me.
"It may, though I'm not sure if it means anything."
"Then come forth." I approached him, removed the crystal from around my neck and handed it to him. As he held it, his eyes widened, and he began to question me. "How did you obtain this?"
"It is an heirloom of my family. Why do you ask? Can it help our cause?"
"Indeed it can, but I'm going to need you to do something for me."
"What is that?"
"Take this crystal, and keep it with you at all times. Guard it with your life. You'll be going frontline again."
"What?" I exclaimed. "You want us to go back out there?"
"Yes I do, and I want you in lead," he said. "Everyone, we're going back out. Mages, heal when necessary, and cast Invisi on our troops when you can. The rest of you, fight like you've never fought before!"
"Yes sir!" we exclaimed as we ran out to the battlefield. The crystal that my father had given me was more than a gem apparently, but what could it do in this battle? Why did General Mintaro send me as the leader? I hope he knows what he's doing, because this could very well be the end of Corneria.