Well, Its been a long time huh? After almost two years I decided to revive my once-dead story. I'm sure the question you're probably asking is "why did this chapter take such a long time?" Well, it's a long story. When I had released my last chapter, I was doing poorly in college. My grades sucked and I could hardly afford to pay tuition. Needless to say, I was having a shitty time. I ended up dropping out of school and working full-time as a dishwasher. The job was fun and I liked working there, but I didn't feel as though I had much opportunity. I wanted to do more in life. Now this is where a lot of my absence is explained. I ended up joining the US Army as a combat medic. I hopped on my flight for basic on February 28th, 2023, and for the next six months, I went through all of my training. I graduated from Fort Sam Houston on September 7th. Ever since then, I've been in the process of heading over to my first duty station. Now that I'm done with my training and shit, I can start looking back on past passions of mine and reviving old projects. This happens to be one of my projects.

So yeah, that's the whole explanation. Sorry to say, but I don't want to commit to a schedule due to how unpredictable Army timelines are. However, I am taking an active interest in writing again, so don't be surprised if I start posting. Thank you for your patience, and shout out to all the new readers who are just discovering my work.

My writing skills may be a little rusty so that's why this chapter is so short. Please bear with me if there are a few mistakes.

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's scheme."

Graham stood before the soldiers of the 94th. His voice boomed as soldiers sat and listened; some men even bowed in prayer. Seeley stood, leaned against a signpost, and observed the congregation. He had already prayed beforehand in private. Seeley's thoughts drifted towards his men. Many of them were free black men before the war, but a small handful were contraband. It was the escaped slaves Seeley took an interest in, as they seemed to be the most devout and pious soldiers. The men whose enslavement was often defended by the religion they practiced, and the men occasionally had it forced upon them during their servitude. Why? Seeley could only speculate. He'd bet money that it was because it gave them hope.

Hope that they could find salvation after their life of misery and turmoil. Hope that there was a God who would accept them, no matter the hue of their skin. Hope that, even if they weren't seen as equal within this earthly realm, they could be spiritually equal. Seeley could respect that philosophy even if it was slightly ironic.

"Our union, and its institutions which are the most splendid and spectacular that the Earth has ever seen, shall not fall to the pagans who wish to plunge us into damnation."

Seeley turned his attention to Graham who was still preaching. He had been doing this daily ever since General Kirkland threw his whiskey at the Saderans. After that, everyone knew that a battle was on the horizon. Seeley winced. There was no escaping; Seeley was no deserter, but the thought of fighting the Saderans and their monsters would cause panic in even the most experienced soldier. Soon, he would either be lying in a mass grave or be creating one. Neither was a tempting thought.

"President Lincoln wisely said in his address to the nation 'that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.' We shall not allow the lost souls of Winchester to be for naught. We shall not allow another city to be seized. We shall not allow our republic, bathed in blood, to be destroyed. My fellow soldiers do not forget that D.C stands behind us."

"D.C stands behind us," the war-weary colonel mused to himself.

Formal felt a stinging pain as Delilah wrapped a bandage around his forehead. He wore a full suit of segmented armor, and he had a short sword attached to his hip. A silence took hold of the air around the lord and maid. Formal said a silent prayer to the goddess Emroy for protection. He hesitated in his quiet prayer; Emory was known for her blind bloodlust, an idea that reminded Formal of the Crown Prince.

"My apologies, Delilah," The maid paused for a moment before continuing.

"What are you apologizing for, my lord?" The maid tucked the bandage in place as she spoke.

"I once again am raising my sword to subjugate innocent people. This war brings back memories of the war against the bunny tribes. I fear our foes, Americans as I've heard they call themselves, will suffer from similar oppression."

Delilah paused in her movements as Formal finished speaking. Her hands clenched as she remembered the devastating occupation of her people's lands. Memories of her traitorous queen almost caused her to lash out. In her head, she found this whole situation ironic. A once proud warrior reduced to the status of a servant. A servant to one of the men who conquered her people, yet she felt no anger. There had been plenty of opportunities to seize revenge, to end Formal's life, but she never took it. Had she been tamed for servitude, or was Formal a genuinely good person deserving of forgiveness? These questions taunted her mind.

An uneasy Silence filled the air until Delilah finished. In the time that Formal had left before mustering his troops, he decided to review his battle plan. Unfurling his map, his eyes scanned the parchment. They would eventually land on a small junction that sat west of the nearby river. Crown Prince Zorzal had personally assigned him to command this assault; Formal would've felt honored had it been anyone else to sing his praises. At his disposal were hordes of beastmen, archers, and of course his legion as a last resort. The strategy was rather simple. Use his large number of beastmen to batter the enemy force and clean it all up with his professional legionnaires.

It had worked countless times before, and it had a good effect during the last battle. However, Formal couldn't help but spot the absence of mages on the battle map. A beleaguered sigh escaped the lord's lips. "The bastard really did refuse to wait."