Chapter 31
Battlefield
On a cold winter afternoon, Fillan follows Master Musashi through the snowy mountain. Fillan has a bag with supplies. After a while of walking, they get to a small lake. Fillan was amazed at this almost secret location and noticed a frozen waterfall. Master Musashi told Fillan he would spend the rest of his training there.
"Fillan, like I told you, you need to tap into your wild nature; You have lost the most important part of being a beast man. This might help get you past your fears."
Master Musashi points at the frozen waterfall; he tells Fillan that when it thaws, he can go into the cave behind it. He warns Fillan that the cave is dangerous and that he needs to be cautious. Fillan asked him why.
"The candles I used to help you remember your past life was taken from here; what I mean is that I used this cave, and it helped me long ago. The properties inside are far more dangerous than you can imagine. I spent years recreating the aromas from the cave; they are nothing compared to here."
Master Musashi told Fillan he would live out there and survive with the knowledge he gained; come spring, when the snow melts, he would go inside the cave and look at his pass again. He will have until summer to find his answer.
Fillan looks at the waterfall; he then looks around. He shows no fear and agrees. Master Musashi told him he would not interfere; he would need to survive alone. Fillan told Master Musashi that he would accomplish what he needed to do. Master Musashi leaves him. Fillan drops his bag and wonders what to do first.
"I need to build a shelter to sleep."
Fillan goes to the woods and looks for material to use. Master Musashi was atop a tree looking at him. He wondered if he could do it. He began to have some doubts. He shacks his head; he then looks in the direction of a cliff.
"They have gathered; either way, they wouldn't interfere."
Master Musashi disappears. Fillan returns with several sticks and builds a small hunter's shelter. Once that was done, he went over his supplies; he had some spices, clothes, rope, dried meats, and a container for water. He also has a sword and knife. Fillan takes out his notes and some books Master Musashi lets him borrow.
"All right, now I have to figure out what to do. The snow should start to melt by mid-spring."
In the Umbridge Kingdom, life began to return to normal. Refugees had homes, and those not in the war went to work. They woke up early morning and were back by evening. Some fighting broke out in these small towns, but the guards intervened; stands and other businesses opened near the buildings.
The refugees continued to support King John, and some began to join the church to find peace. Letters of their loved ones from the front lines arrived; these contained good news, while others learned about the loss of their loved ones. King John also proposed that soldiers are allowed to visit home when they can; some soldiers did visit, and injured soldiers that could not fight were sent home.
The nobles were working hard to raise their rankings. Lesser nobles had a hard time because those higher than them were working together and keeping the lesser nobles down. Complaints were sent to King John, but he was too busy with other paperwork.
King John was signing some documents when a messenger arrived. He had news of the old guard's advancement. They had taken their armies along with some nobles loyal to them; the message also said they hired some mercenaries and adventures. King John goes over to the map and looks at the movements.
"Looks like they should make contact in about ten days; all I can do is wait to see if they could slow them down."
Fillan begins living alone; he decides to train while he waits for the snow to melt. He explored the area around his camp and knew where certain plants and animals were. He would get up and meditate; after meditation, he would work out. He did his push-up and sit-ups.
Fillan ate breakfast and then explored more of the forest. He came across a canyon and saw more forest on the other side. He took out his notebook and marketed it. He leaves the area after; across tree branches move.
Fillan practiced his swordsmanship and crafted a bow with trial and error. He went out hunting but failed. He remembers what Master Musashi tough him; he still failed. He returned to camp, ate some dried meat, and read a borrowed book.
"Adventurers."
Most of the books Master Musashi had been tales of his travels. Fillan picked one that looked interesting. Master Musashi wrote in the book about a group of warriors who weren't soldiers. He said they called themselves adventurers; Master Musashi went around learning about them.
It said that adventurers were people who worked as warriors for hire. The everyday citizen hired them because they could hire soldiers. Adventurers were explorers first and later became warriors for hire; they knew the world, so merchants hired them to help them explore unknown parts.
The merchants then began to hire them to explore and gather valuable resources. Adventurers knew magic; some became well-known, and they started to teach others. More people became adventurers, and the business grew. Nobles wanted some of the wealth and joined the adventurers.
Other lines of work rose from the nobles joining and hiring them. It became terrible at one point that the Kingdoms had to intervene; other Kingdoms also started to hire adventures. Their people became adventurers and caused more problems; finally, the kingdoms made laws to control them.
The kingdoms established guilds to ensure the safety and control of the adventurers. Some adventurers gained nobility and created schools with hundreds of students, all aiming to be the best. Adventurers were stronger than most soldiers because they trained harder. Fillan was interested.
Fillan continued to train and was slowly reawakening his animal instincts. He had also learned more about surviving. He trained, hunted, and meditated; Fillan could use a little Mana now. He looked more like a wild animal. Fillan's hair grew and was to his shoulders; he used animal skin as clothes.
King John was preparing to go to battle. The old guard had been defeated but managed to stop them. When the old guard met the enemy, they fought fiercely. They fought against a greater force. The message said they had a greater number of troops than reported. The old guard retreated before they lost everyone.
King John somewhat expected their loss. He had been preparing for some time now. He had called on Cortez and Haddison; the Sage said some new mages were ready. Cortez sent word to Hispaniam to have the troops prepared to move. King John also sent word to the nearby barracks; they were to have them ready.
Haddison and her troops were ready; King John sent more messages to evacuate towns and villages. It took a couple of days to prepare; Tomas and Gerald of the old guard reported to King John. They told him about the elite soldiers the enemy had. King John made some plans.
"We need to be careful of these elite troops; either way, some of our forces have lost their leaders, so we will combine them to create new forces. Send them where needed; contact Arthur and have him prepare to attack the southern enemy."
King John worked hard to get everything ready. The old guard didn't stop him from going into battle. They support him; later that night, he talks with Annalise. He walks into her room and sits on her bed. Annalise was in bed; she could see something was wrong. King John smiles at her.
"You have made me so proud; your mother would have been smiling from cheek to cheek. Once, she told me that she wanted you to be the best princess this Kingdom has seen. I told her you were already the best; I will be gone for a few days…"
Annalise sat up and took her father's hand; she told him she would be okay. Annalise told him she loved him and prayed for his safe return. King John tears up and tucks her back in; he kisses her on the forehead.
"You are my world and happiness; I will protect both. Don't fear the outside world. That is what your mom used to say. Happy dreams, and I will see you soon."
King John stands up and smiles again; Annalise smiles and turns on her side. King John leaves the room. He sees the maids and tells them to take care of her. The maids bow. Inside, Annalise was crying under her blanket. King John walks to a room.
He enters and draws Mana. A magic circle activates, and a vault opens; he enters and goes over to a suit of armor. King John began to put it on. He is done, takes a sword, leaves, and heads to the war room. He waits for morning.
Morning comes, and Cortez is the first to arrive; he enters the war room and sees King John. King John was sitting by his desk. Cortez was surprised; he was about to call him when King John opened his eyes. Cortez wore new armor but still looked like Zorro.
Haddison walks in and is followed by the old guard. King John greets them and tells them his plan of attack. His General had some thoughts but, in the end, agreed to his plan. King John then goes to the balcony. He looks over and sees a large group; these were commanders and captains of his forces. King John, with an aggressive tone, speaks.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you; I know it was hard to be away from your loved ones in this time of need. You who have surpassed all who came before you, I ask that you show the world the power of the human race. The demon King Mateo thinks we are lowly creatures he can walk all over, but I say he is about to make the biggest mistake of his life. We will march up to his forces and deliver death; let your cries be heard and stand proud, for when they hear your story, they will know the ferocity of the Umbridge Kingdom!"
The soldiers cheered; King John turned to his general and told them to move out. Horns sound, and the commanders and captains go to horses waiting. They ride ahead to meet their troops. Cortez tells King John that his forces are already on the move. Wagons took the mage unit.
In town, the adventurer's guild was processing forms for those who chose to participate. Some adventurers left with the troops. Master Musashi was enjoying a peaceful moment when a messenger bird arrived. He took the message and read it; he looked upset.
"Another great battle will start; can the humans survive this?"
Fillan had made weights and worked other parts of his muscle. He also began to train in an unknown fighting style to the world; he would bring boxing to this world. Steady, he increased his Mana and used it with the help of crystals. The sun was out, and it was melting the snow.
"Soon."
South, Arthur had sent scouts to assess the situation. The scouts passed towns and villages evacuated. They felt sad because they knew people used to live there; houses were abandoned with valuables left behind. The scouting party continued to ride west. They reach their destination.
The scouting party witnesses the demon army; they are looting homes and other supplies from a town. Once they were done, they moved on. The town was left to burn as they continued their march. At the front, they had mud-looking creatures; behind were knights and mages along with tall structures.
The scout leader, who wore a cloak, was upset with what they witnessed. They moved and headed to a town on the map. When they arrived, they saw people living peacefully; the scout leader called the head of the town. An older man shows up. The scout leader asks them why they haven't evacuated.
The chief needed clarification as to why they needed to leave. The scout leader told them there should have been a letter informing the village about the enemy movement. It was going to pass through their village. The chief said they didn't receive anything like that. The scout leader gets upset and tells the elder to have his people evaluated now.
The elder said they wouldn't want to leave. The scout leader told the elder he needed to convince them. The scout leader gets off the horse and removes their cloak; she is a female knight and covers her face with a helmet. She has her unit go and check the enemy's position. The female knight tells the elder to hurry.
The village chief meets with the townspeople and tells them what is happening. The townspeople have a hard time believing what they are told. They knew there was a war but thought it was too far for them. They discussed it; some elderly residents didn't want to leave, while others went to pack.
After some convincing, they started to evacuate the town. A scout soldier returns, and when he does, a fireball comes down, causing an explosion. The scout tells the knight that the enemy is close. The other scouts rode back. The scout leader tells her soldiers to cast a defensive spell. The knight draws Mana and casts an earth spell. Huge walls of earth emerge, blocking the enemy attack.
"Help the villagers; we just need to give them enough time to escape!"
One of the scouts casts a fireball spell straight up. In another part, a group of soldiers were waiting when they saw the fireball explode. They all move out and head in that direction. The scouting party was defending against fireballs when they heard a horn.
The ground shook, and a fierce growl was heard. The troll creature was running towards the town. A scout soldier said they needed to leave; he suggested they leave those who were slow. The scout leader said she couldn't leave them behind. Arrows rained down on the enemy.
"Captain Melody, we have arrived; what are your orders!"
The scout knight was a captain, and they called her Captain Melody. Captain Melody orders her other troops to help with the evacuation. Her forces attacked the troll creature but could not stop them; the hordes of goblins showed up and attacked.
The trolls reached the village and attacked some people who were slow to escape. The fireballs got through and hit the village, causing damage and began to burn homes. The soldiers fought, and some got defeated. Captain Melody had to retreat.
"I'm sorry, god; please help them find peace."
Captain Melody escorted the villagers that escaped back to where they set up camp. General Arthur called her; He asked her what had happened. Captain Melody told him about the village not getting the message. Arthur told her about other towns in the same situation.
"What could have gone wrong? These letters should reach all those villages."
General Arthur had other things on his mind. He tells Captain Melody to get ready; they are going to attack. Arthur was prepared and had his troops move. He had nobles move their troops too. Captain Melody had her troops gathered and ready to move.
King John had set camp in an abandoned town; his troops rested and prepared for battle. He had yet to hear from King Sloan, so he felt nervous. The soldiers tried to relax, but some were nervous and scared. Cortez and Haddison came into King John's tent and talked.
They joke about the old times and reminisce happy days. King John talked about how he could not make Stephanie happy just yet. Cortez told him he would have all the time after the war. Haddison said she missed Annabeth but gave her support to Queen Stephanie. They drank and talked late into the night.
The following morning everyone was getting up. Some soldiers were already getting ready. King John was suited and outside, waiting for the sun to come out. A few soldiers prayed while others drank to calm their nerves. Once the sun came out, the captains shouted.
"Form up; prepare for battle!"
The soldiers rushed to line up while others were getting ready. A scouting party was sent ahead to check on the enemy. King John marched with his troops, and the rest followed. They reached a hill and lined up. King John could see flat plains from the hill.
The troops took their positions and waited for the enemy. The scouts were returning and gave King John an update. They told him that the enemy was on the move and close. King John ordered everyone to get ready. Commanders gave the orders, and the captains carried out those orders to the rest.
A message arrives for King John; he reads it and tells the others. It said that Arthur had already started to fight the enemy. He has been fighting for four days now. The sound of marching and creatures was heard. The human forces could see the demon armies coming.
The demon captains saw the human armies, and they prepared to attack. They got into formation. The troll and goblin creatures were at the front. They made terrible noises and scared the soldiers. They stared at each other for a while.
King John looks at Cortez and nods; Cortez rides to his forces. Haddison smacks him on his back and goes to her troops. King John lifts his hand, and the archers get ready. Cortez waits for the signal; he puts on his sombrero and draws Mana.
"This is happening, no lo puedo crer; how times have changed."
Haddison was with her cavalry unit; she had ground warriors and archers. Haddison had only women in as soldiers; they were each proud Amazonian warriors and wore Greek-inspired armor. Haddison turns to her captains.
"Let's not start crying here; we must show our troops we are ready for this. Come on, Ladies, eyes up front."
The air became heavy, and Mana was felt on both sides. Giant tower-like structures were seen coming up. They were already; the demon mage group began to cast fireballs. King John orders a counter; his mages cast their fireballs. The goblin creatures began to run forward.
King John gave the signal, and the captains ordered a forward march. The shield and spear unit glowed and moved. The demon mages continued their attack. Some fireballs got through and hit the ground. The explosions scared the soldiers. The human mages struggled to keep up.
King John has the archers help the mages counter the fireballs. They fired arrows with wind magic and blew up the fireballs in the sky. Once they got past the first attack, they began to run at the enemy; the goblins collided with the shield troops.
The shield troops easily kept the goblins at bay. A group of luchadores, part of Cortez's forces, attacked quickly. They put the goblins down, and they turned to mud. The troll creatures then arrive and attack. King John makes his next move.
King John signals Cortez; Cortez has his new forces attack. The conquistadores were strong swordsmen. They attacked as a group and helped push the trolls back. Some formations were broken, but it did not stop them. Fireballs hit the ground and explode; human soldiers are sent flying. King John wants them stopped.
The mages switch to wind spells and cast them to stop the fireballs. King John sees that catapults are brought forward. They are then loaded with boulders. The catapults are released, and boulders are sent flying. They see them coming and order their troops to move.
Some soldiers are late and get crushed by the boulders; the boulders glow, and goblin creatures emerge from them. King John has another group move to help. The enemy has gotten past their front soldiers; they are attacked from behind. King John sees that more boulders have been loaded.
"Mage group, stop those things from hitting the ground!"
The mages used various spells to stop the boulders but couldn't. The mages use many crystals; some crystals are used one time, and then they break. King John makes more moves. Haddison rides in with her troops. The cavalry tramples the goblins before her ground forces attack.
More boulders are dropped, and the enemy increases again in size. King John sees his troops overrun; He has the archers concentrate on helping pined groups. Adventurers who accepted the quest are fighting independently; groups help wherever possible. King John orders them to regroup and attack together.
"Shield troops hold the hordes; message Cortez and have him swing around…. Get a group to focus on the trolls, archers; fire!"
There was a group of soldiers that resupplied the soldiers. They carried crystals and delivered them to whoever needed them. The Umbridge Kingdom held them back; reports came in, and King John watched the battle. He gave orders accordingly.
"Move, move, get out of the way! One more injured."
Injured soldiers were starting to fill the medical tents. They desperately tried to save lives but ended up failing. Some soldiers were just patched and went back to fight. King John was also notified of his losses. King John was mad.
"Get the wounded out and replace those in the formation."
There was then a massive explosion; King John saw a hole. He asks what happened. Another explosion, and King John sees the enemy mages combining their Mana. He thinks about his next move; he then sees movement from the enemy. The demon knights enter the battle.
"This is bad; our formation has broken, and regrouping is hard. Their main forces are now entering the battlefield; What should I do?"
King John sees Haddison's troops advancing on the demon knights. Haddison casts a spell that creates spikes from the ground. Goblins attack, but her troops intercept. Haddison orders them to hold the line. Cortez comes riding in; he jumps from his horse.
He lands, and with a series of jabs, he quickly destroys the enemy. He creates a whip from darkness and attacks the goblin creatures. Haddison thanks him before making another pass. Cortez's forces back up the Amazonians. Cortez makes a push.
Cortez makes his troops assist those who need to regroup. He takes on the trolls. The humans are slowly making ground now. The demons order more boulders to be launched. They weren't afraid of the situation; a commander called on a soldier.
"Have the towers activate the spells."
The demon soldier runs to the tower structures; the towers have wheels. A group of soldiers were protecting them. The soldier talks to one of the guards; he tells him the orders. The guard knocks on a door and gives someone orders. The towers begin to glow.
Some goblins glow and run and jump at the humans; the goblins grab onto shields and some soldiers. An explosion goes off. More explosions go off, and the battlefield becomes chaotic. Some soldiers realize this and tell their squad mates not to let the goblins near them.
Earth walls begin to spring up. The goblins jump at the walls and explode; King John orders the mages to reinforce the walls. The mages take earth crystals and cast reinforcement spells. More boulders land behind the walls, and the goblins attack.
Cortez had made it back to King John; he told him they would lose more soldiers because they didn't know enough about the enemy. He wants them to retreat because they are unprepared for the goblins exploding. King John sees the battle turning in their favor.
"You are right; order the retreat."
Horns began to sound, and the human started to fall back; they protected each other as they retreated. King John has the mages and archers assist them in withdrawing. The archers fired arrows that then, hitting the ground, exploded.
Haddison is upset but orders a retreat when she sees her warriors fight off goblins that explode. The human armies have left the battlefield; the demons celebrate their victory. King John saw the goblins and trolls stop. He was furious about the outcome.
Unknown to him, a large force marched towards him.