Kael

The day of war had come. Finally.

Kael tightened his grip on his twin blades as he walked toward the wagons, his stomach twisted in knots. He had fought before, but never like this. Never in a full-scale war.

The sky was a dull shade of gray, as if even the heavens knew what was to come. The air was thick with tension as soldiers loaded into their wagons, their armor clinking softly in the quiet morning.

Aeris stood a few feet away, adjusting the straps on her belt. She hadn’t spoken much since her meeting with Lord Lucian the day before. Kael had tried to ask what it was about, but each time, she either ignored him or changed the subject.

Now wasn’t the time to press her for answers.

A horn sounded in the distance. It was time.

He climbed into their assigned wagon, joining Aeris and the rest of their assigned group. Their twin blades, forged in pairs, lay beside them. Each of them had a partner—the person they would fight alongside, the one who would guard their back.

Kael's gaze drifted over their companions. He knew all of them. The first pair was Dain and Calla. Dain was a brawny warrior, skilled with an axe, while Calla was his smaller, more agile twin blade, deadly with throwing knives. Rumour has it that the both of them were an item. The second was Reks & Mira. Reks was the strategist of the group, always analyzing situations, while Mira was fierce and unshakable, her spear an extension of herself. Also the barracks gossip. The third pair, Talon & Lira. Talon was the youngest among them, but he fought with the precision of someone twice his age. Lira, his twin blade, was sharp-tongued but fiercely loyal.

Everyone looked tense. Fingers twitched on weapons, eyes darted around. The silence was suffocating.

Kael exhaled slowly. "Listen," he said, his voice cutting through the silence. "I know you're scared. We all are. But we cannot let fear control us."

They looked up at him.

"Remember why we're here," he continued. "Remember everything the Veldrosians took from us. They burned our homes, slaughtered our families, left us with nothing." He clenched his jaw. "This isn’t just about Arlindale. This is about us. If we let them win today, we lose everything."

Aeris glanced at him, something unreadable in her eyes.

Dain grunted and nodded. "Let’s make them pay."

Kael met their gazes one by one. "We fight together. We return together."

Everyone nodded.

The wagon jerked forward, rolling toward the battlefield.

The journey to the border between Arlindale and Veldros was eerily quiet. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts.

As they approached the boundary, Kael peered through the slits in the wagon. The land ahead was desolate—charred earth and abandoned structures stretching as far as the eye could see.

Veldros looked… empty.

Buildings stood in eerie silence, their windows shattered, doors hanging from broken hinges. The streets were covered in dust and debris, like a town long forgotten by time.

Aeris shifted beside him. "Where is everyone?" she murmured.

Kael opened his mouth to respond—

BOOM!

An explosion erupted just ahead, throwing their wagon into chaos. Horses neighed in terror, the wooden frame shaking violently as flames burst through the road.

"AMBUSH!" someone shouted.

"THIS WAY!" Reks bellowed, pointing toward an overturned armor tank.

Without hesitation, they leaped from the wagon, sprinting toward cover.

Lira tripped, her breath coming in panicked gasps. Aeris grabbed her, steadying her before dragging her behind the tank.

Lira was shaking, tears streaming down her face. "I—I can’t—"

"You're fine," Aeris said firmly. "Breathe."

The ground trembled as more explosions tore through the air. Then—

The Veldrosians arrived.

Their soldiers emerged from the ruins, clad in dark armor, blades glinting under the murky sky.

The battle began.

The first clash of steel ranged through the ruined streets. Kael barely had time to react before another bomb was thrown close to where they had taken cover. As they ran out, battle ready, a Veldrosian solider lunged at them, blades swinging. Kael lunged forward, meeting the soldier head-on. Their blades clashed, sparks flying. He ducked, slicing low, but his opponent blocked. The soldier lunged for him again but he dodged to the side, countering with a sharp slash. The solider parried, their swords moving in a deadly dance. Kael gritted his teeth as he shoved his knee into the solider's gut, throwing him off balance before he sliced through his chest.

Aeris moved like a shadow beside him, her twin blades flashing as she cut down an enemy with ruthless efficiency.

Across the field, Dain roared as he swung his axe, cleaving through one solider then another moving in a heavy but precise motion. Calla spun behind him, covering him while throwing her knives with a deadly accuracy, each finding it's marks in eyes and throats.

Mira drove her spear into an enemy's gut, while Reks twisted behind her, slashing at another.

Then suddenly, he stumbled.

A Veldrosian soldier raised his blade, ready to strike at him when Mira moved, so fast that Kael saw her in blurs. She shoved Talon aside, taking the brunt of the attack. Steel bit into her shoulder, but she didn’t fall. With a furious cry, she drove her dagger into her attacker's chest.

Kael saw red.

With a snarl, he launched himself at the enemy still looming over Mira. His blade found its mark, cutting through armor, through flesh. The soldier gasped, then crumpled.

"Are you hurt?" Kael asked her.

She gritted her teeth. "I’ll live."

The battle raged on.It felt endless.

Swords clashed. Guns fired. Blood stained the ground.

But then— The Veldrosians began to retreat.

Victory belonged to Arlindale.

Kael heaved a sigh of relief and fell to his knees.

Back in the wagon, no one spoke.

They were covered in blood—some their own, some not. Their bodies ached, their minds numb.

But something had changed.

They weren’t just soldiers anymore.

They were comrades.

Dain broke the silence. "If anyone tells me we’re doing this again tomorrow, I’ll kill them myself."

Calla snorted, exhaustion clear in her voice. "Right there with you."

Even Aeris, who rarely showed emotion, let out a quiet chuckle.

"I guess we're friends now"? Mira said in a small voice.

"Yes". Aeris said, smiling at her. "Yes, we are".

Kael looked around at them—his twin blade, his friends—and felt something settle in his chest.

Maybe they weren’t just fighting for Arlindale anymore.

Maybe they were fighting for each other.

Back at the palace, they were summoned to the main hall, where Lord Lucian awaited them.

He stood tall, his dark eyes sweeping over them.

"You have done well," he said. "Veldros has been driven back, their forces weakened. You fought bravely, and because of you, Arlindale remains victorious."

A murmur of satisfaction rippled through the soldiers.

Lucian’s gaze landed briefly on Aeris. They stared at each for a few seconds and the she sighed and looked away.

Kael noticed the little exchange but remained quiet.

Lucian continued, "Rest. Recover. Tomorrow, we celebrate your victory with a grand ball. You have earned it."

He dismissed them, and they began to file out.

Just as they reached the hallway, Mira stretched her sore arms and groaned. "If anyone sees me in a dress tomorrow, pretend you don’t know me."

Reks smirked. "Oh, I’m absolutely making a scene."

Dain chuckled. "I’ll pay you to trip in the middle of the dance floor."

Calla grinned. "Five gold says she does it without help."

Laughter rippled through them, the sound warm despite the exhaustion.

For the first time since their training began, they weren’t just warriors.

They were family.