I AM NOT A MONSTER. BUT I HAVE BEEN DECLARED SUCH. DESPITE THE THOUSAND I’VE SLAIN FOR THEM, THE ATROCITIES I HAVE COMMITTED TO WIN THEIR WAR, TO BE DECLARED SUCH BY THEM, WAS AN IRONY THAT MADE EVEN THE GODS CHUCKLE. SO THEY SHACKLED ME WITH TITLES OF DEMON MONGER, DEVIL'S OFFSPRING, AND DEATHLESS AMONG THE FEW OF THE MORE UNSAVOURY CATEGORIES. THEY TELL THEIR SONS, THEIR DAUGHTERS, AND ANYONE WHO LISTENS THAT THEIR WAY IS RIGHT AND THAT THEY ARE OVERSEEN BY THE DIVINE. THEIR OPPRESSION AND THEIR CRUELTY ARE THE LESSER EVIL AND THE EMPIRE WILL LEAD THEM TO SALVATION FROM THEMSELVES. THESE LIES FUELED THEIR EMPIRE EXPANSION AND THEIR WAR MACHINE AS THEY LIBERATED VILLAGE AFTER VILLAGE, TOWN AFTER TOWN AND KINGDOM AFTER KINGDOM WITH STEEL AND FLAME. SO NO, I’M NOT A MONSTER; MY SINS PALE COMPARED TO THEIR OWN, BUT A GOOD MAN ISN’T A TITLE I WOULD CLAIM FOR MYSELF EITHER, AND THERE AREN’T MANY I CAN’T CLAIM. BUT BEFORE ALL OF THIS CHAOS, DEATH AND DESTRUCTION THAT LED US TO THIS MOMENT, THE TITLE I CLAIMED PROUDLY AND WAS MOST KNOWN FOR WAS A BROTHER. BROTHER TO THE STRONGEST MADGI THAT HAD EVER. SO HERE YOU WANT IT SO BAD? THIS IS MY CONFESSION.

-REDACTED TRAITOR OF RONAN THE FALLEN SOLDIER

‘I NEED MORE TIME, RONAN.’ MY SWORD PIERCED THE ENEMY’S THROAT, SENDING A SQUIRT OF BLOOD ACROSS MY FACE AS I WITHDREW MY BLADE. HEARING MY NAME CALLED, I TURNED TO THE SOURCE AND FOUND DALVER, MY BROTHER, STANDING ON THE CLIFF’S EDGE OVERLOOKING THE BATTLEFIELD. SWIRLS OF MANA SWARMED AROUND HIM IN A SPHERICAL PATTERN, AND THERE WAS A CRAZY GLEAM IN HIS EYES, HIS IRIS TURNING A BRIGHT BLUE WITH WHISPS OF POWER EMITTING OFF THEM.

‘JUST A LITTLE LONGER THAN IT’S DONE, WE WIN,’ SCREAMED DALVER. I HEARD THE DESPERATION IN HIS VOICE, BUT THE LOOK IN HIS EYES CONVEYED HIS FAITH IN ME.

I WOULD HOLD, THOUGHT RONAN, HOLD LIKE I ALWAYS DO.

TURNING AWAY FROM MY BROTHER, I LOOKED AROUND MYSELF AND ADMIRED THE LARGE AMOUNT OF BODIES THAT LAYED SCATTERED AROUND ME. SOME FRIENDLY. BUT MOST WERE THE ENEMY. I GLANCED DOWN THE HILL, WHERE I SAW MORE ENEMY APPROACHING, THE STEEPNESS SLOWING THEIR SPEED, BUT I COULD FEEL THEIR CONFIDENCE RADIATING OFF THEM AS THEY THOUGHT THEIR VICTORY WAS CLOSE AT HAND. ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS KILL ME AND THEN MY BROTHER. THEY WERE ABOUT TO FIND OUT THE TRUE MEANING OF DESPAIR AS THEY HEADED TOWARDS THE COLOSSAL TASK THEY HAD SET THEMSELVES. I INSPECTED MYSELF AND FOUND I WAS NOT LACKING IN WOUNDS; A VARIETY OF THEM WERE SCATTERED ACROSS MY BODY, SLOWLY DRAINING MY STRENGTH. LUCKILY, NONE WERE DEEP ENOUGH TO FINISH ME OFF YET, BUT I KNEW I WAS ON A TIME LIMIT. WE ALL WERE. I RAISED MY HAND TO MY LEFT EAR TIP TO CONFIRM IT WAS STILL THERE. AN ARROW GOT A BIT TOO CLOSE TO MY HEAD BEFORE I MANAGED TO LEAN OUT OF ITS WAY, AND HE WAS SURE AT LEAST THE TIP HAD BEEN REMOVED. WITH A GROAN, I ROLLED MY SHOULDERS FORWARD AS A NEW ROUND OF PAIN ESCAPED MY MOUTH AS I PREPARED TO ENGAGE. LOOKING AT THE APPROACHING COMBATANTS ANALYTICALLY, I KNEW I COULDN’T LET THEM GET ANY FURTHER, ESPECIALLY SINCE I WAS THE ONLY SURVIVOR. I STARTED TO COUNT THEIR NUMBER BUT TRAILED OFF.

IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW MANY THERE ARE; IN THE END, THEY ARE ALL JUST DEAD MEN WALKING, DEATH OR VICTORY, I THOUGHT.

PUSHING THE FINAL THOUGHTS OUT OF MY HEAD. I DARTED DOWN TO THEM, UNWILLING TO LET THEM GET A STEP FURTHER, MY SPEED PUSHING THE HUMAN BODY ABOVE ITS LIMIT AND CLASHING WITH THE FIRST ENEMY SOLDIER. HE HAD NO CHANCE. MY SWORD FOUND THE GAP THROUGH THE DEFENCES WITHOUT EFFORT, AND I WAS INSTANTLY ONTO THE NEXT. WHIPPING AROUND, I DUCKED BELOW THEM, MAKING MY WAY INTO THEIR FORMATION AND CUTTING THEIR OTHER LEADING MAN ACHILLES HEELS, ELICITING CRIES OF PAIN THAT WERE MUSIC TO MY EARS. NOT BOTHERING TO FINISH THEM OFF, I CONTINUED ON, READY TO MAKE MY SWORD SING. MY ORCHESTRA OF CHAOS BEGAN. IT WAS MADE OF THE THUDS OF BODY AND SCREAMS OF AGONY AS I WAS RELENTLESS IN MY SLAUGHTER OF THE ENEMY. TIME LOST MEANING AMONGST THE CHAOS AND SOON I WAS IN TRANCE. HOWEVER, THE TRANCE WAS LOST AS I FOUND MY SWORD COUNTERED, LEADING ME TO A FOE I KNEW TOO WELL.

A SPELL BREAKER. THE TELLTALE SIGNS WERE THERE: A DARK STEEL SWORD THAT RADIATED DARKNESS, AFFECTING THE VERY SPACE AROUND IT, AND AN OBSIDIAN SUN INSCRIBED ON HIS PAULDRON. I KNEW UNDERNEATH THE LEATHER AND CHAINMAIL, THERE WOULD BE A VARIETY OF RUNES AND TRINKETS THAT WOULD ABSORB AND NULLIFY MAGIC.

UNLUCKY FOR THEM, THOUGH, IT WOULDN’T MEAN MUCH FOR ME. I’M NOT MY BROTHER. DISENGAGING OUR SWORDS, I DASHED BACKWARDS AND LOOKED AROUND MY SURROUNDINGS. I SCANNED AROUND TO SEE THE MAJORITY OF THE ENEMY DEAD OR DYING, THEIR GROANS BECOMING WEAKER AND WEAKER AS THEIR LIFE DRAINED. IT WAS ONLY IN THE CORNER OF HIS EYE THAT I NOTICED ONE SLOWLY LIMPING UP TOWARDS MY BROTHER, SWORD CLUTCHED FIRMLY IN HAND. THIS MOMENTARY DISTRACTION ON THE BATTLEFIELD WAS ENOUGH FOR THE SPELLBREAKER JUST ENOUGH TIME TO SLASH TOWARDS MY NECK, LIGHTLY NICKING IT. IT GAVE ME ALL THE TOO FAMILIAR TASTE OF DEATH.

NOT LETTING INDECISIVENESS WEIGH ME DOWN, I SPRINTED UP AFTER HIM AND THREW MY BLADE AT HIS BACK. NOT HAVING THE TIME TO CONFIRM THE KILL, I TURNED TO THE DARK STEEL SWORD INCHES AWAY FROM BEING THRUST INTO MY EYE. I SWAYED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT AND FELT THE SWORD GRAZE ARCROSS THE SIDE OF MY HEAD. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OVEREXTENDING THRUST I DOVE INTO HIS LEGS AND RIPPED THEM UPWARDS TAKING HIM DOWN. OVER POWERING HIM, I MOUNTED HIM FENDING OF HIS ARMS THAT TRIED TO FOUGHT ME OFF. I FELT THE DESPERATE STRUGGLE AS I FELT THE HANDS LATCH ONTO MY FACE, MY JAW BEING PALMED AWAY.

WITH MY HAND PREOCCUPIED WITH PINNING THE ENEMY SOLDIER DOWN, I USED THE ONLY WEAPON I HAD LEFT. I BIT DOWN HARD ON THE MAN’S FINGER, AND MY MOUTH WAS SOON FLOODED WITH BLOOD. BUT I DIDN’T STOP. NOT UNTIL I FELT THE APPENDAGE SEPARATE. THE CRY THAT ACCOMPANIED THE BITE WAS INHUMAN AS THE SOLDIER SHRIEKED LIKE A BANSHEE, AND ALL FORMS OF DEFENCE BROKE DOWN. WITH THIS, MY PATH TO VICTORY WAS CLEARED, AND I BEGAN TO WAIL DOWN BLOW AFTER BLOW ONTO MY FALLEN OPPONENT. WHAT FOLLOWED WAS A FEW WEAK ATTEMPTS AT A DEFENCE THAT COULDN’T WITHSTAND THE FEROCITY AND RAGE. I FELT THE CRACKS WITH EACH BLOW, AND ADRENALINE PREVENTED ME FROM KNOWING IF IT WAS THE HEAD OF THE OPPONENT OR MY OWN FIST. AFTER AN UNNECESSARY AMOUNT OF PUNCHES LATER, I LOOKED UP FROM THE VICTIM, SCANNED THE BATTLEFIELD, AND SPOTTED NO THREATS. NOT THAT IT MATTERED ANYMORE. I GAZED TOWARDS MY BROTHER. ANY SECOND NOW. THE MASS OF ENERGY SURROUNDING HIS BROTHER HAD GROWN EXPONENTIALLY, AND AT THIS MOMENT, I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF HIS BROTHER WAS THE MOST POTENT MADJI ON THIS CONTINENT. I REACHED AROUND THE NECK OF THE FALLEN SPELLBREAKER AND FOUND AN OBSIDEN SUN AMULET, THEY WERE MADE OUT OF DARK STEEL AND WERE THEIR INSIGNIA, NEVER LEAVING HOME WITHOUT IT. ANOTHER ONE FOR THE COLLECTION

DESPITE HOW UNSTEADY THEY FELT, I DRAGGED MYSELF TO MY FEET, SWIPING THE ENEMY’S SWORD WITH ME. IT WAS TIME FOR CLEAN UP. WALKING THROUGH THE BATTLEFIELD LIKE A REAPER OF DEATH, I PROVIDED SWEET RELIEF TO THE DYING COMBATANT, UTILISING THE SMALL AMOUNT OF ENERGY I HAD LEFT TO END THEIR SUFFERING. I MADE MY UP THE HILL AND MADE MY WAY TO WHERE I THREW MY SWORD WHICH WASN’T AS NEATLY IMPALED AS I WOULD OF LIKE. THE ENEMY STILL LAY THERE GASPING FOR AIR, SO I DID THE MERCIFUL THING. I EXAMINED MY BLADE AND SAW THE STEEL WAS WARPED AND THE EDGE HAD MORE CRACKS THAN IT WAS WORTH, SO I CARELESSLY TOSSED IT TO THE SIDE. AS I GOT CLOSER, I COULD MAKE OUT THE SPHERE OF DESTRUCTION THAT SURROUNDED HIS BROTHER. THE SWIRLS OF ENERGY WERE LOOKING CLOSER TO TUNNELS OF FIRE AND WERE A FIERY RED THAT BLINDED ME. DALVER STOOD THERE STEADFAST AMONGST THE CHAOS, HE HAD MADE HIS HOME THERE AS HE CONTROLLED THE FLAME READY TO LAUNCH THE DESTRUCTION ARCROSS THE BATTLEFIELD. I COULD FEEL THE HEAT ON HIS FACE INTENSIFY AS I GOT CLOSER. I WASN’T THAT FAR OFF WHEN THE SPELL WAS RELEASED AND HELL RAINED DOWN ON THE BATTLEFIELD. STEADYING MYSELF FROM GETTING SENT BACK DOWN THE HILL FROM THE BACKBLAST, I FINALLY MADE IT TO HIS SIDE, WHERE I SAT NEXT TO HIM, OUR FEET DANGLY OFF THE EDGE.

I WASN’T NEW TO THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF MADGI, ESPECIALLY MY OWN BROTHERS, BUT THE SCENE BEFORE MADE MY MOUTH PHYSICALLY GAPE. YOU HAVE REALLY OUTDONE YOURSELF THIS TIME BROTHER. I TURNED TO MY BROTHER, WHOSE EYES WERE GLAZED OVER, SEEMINGLY UNABLE TO APPRECIATE THE DESTRUCTION HE HAD WROUGHT. ALL THIS DEATH, AND FOR WHAT? BECAUSE TWO OLD MAN COULDN’T AGREE WHERE TO PUT A IMAGINARY LINE. HELL THE ONLY REASON HIS BROTHER AND THE REST OF THE MADGI WERE THIS INVOLVED IN THE WAR FIGHTING ALONGSIDE THE ARKIN EMPIRE WAS THE FACT THE OPOSING NATION WERE THE ZEALOUTS NEILHELM. AND THE ONLY REASON I AM HERE IS HIM.

BEFORE MY OWN EYES I WITNESSED A HELLSCAPE. I HAD RIDDEN THIS COUNTRYSIDE NOT JUST TWO MONTHS AGO, ADMIRING ITS BEAUTY, TO SEE IT REDUCED TO THIS. THE WOUNDS ON THE LANDSCAPE INFLICTED BY THIS BATTLE HAVE STILL NOT HEALED AND WOULD LIKELY LEAVE SCARS THAT WOULD NEVER FADE. THIS IS WHERE THE TWO ARMIES INITIALLY ENGAGED, THE FIRST MAJOR BATTLES BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS; NEILHAM SIGNIFICANTLY OUTNUMBERED THE ARKIN EMPIRE IN QUANTITY AND QUALITY. BUT THAT WAS THE PLAN. A SMALL BUT BELIEVABLE NUMBER OF POOR-QUALITY TROOPS WERE TO PUSH FORWARD AND FULLY COMMIT TO AN ASSAULT TO DRAW THE ENEMY OUT. IT WAS A SUICIDE MISSION THAT WORKED, AND NOW THE ENEMY AND ALLIES WERE BURNT INDISCRIMINATELY TOGETHER, LEAVING WINDOWS AND FAMILY FROM BOTH SIDES NOTHING BUT ASH. BUT THAT’S THE THING. RIGHT AND WRONG DOESNT MATTER AT THE MOMENT, AS LONG AS WE WIN THE WAR WE WILL BE HAILED AS HEROES AND OUR NAMES WILL BE IN THE HISTORY BOOK GOOD GRACES. OR SO I THOUGHT.

I TURNED TO HIS BROTHER, WHO SEEMED A BIT MORE CONSCIOUS OF HIS SURROUNDINGS.

‘WHAT ARE THE CHANCES YOU CAN USE SOME OF YOUR MAGICAL POWER TO HEAL THIS POOR MORTAL BOY,’ I ASKED, ONLY HALF KIDDING.

‘SORRY, NO, I CAN’T DO THAT, BROTHER. I’M ALL OUT OF JUICE, AND I BELIEVE I WILL SOON PASS OUT FROM MANA EXHAUSTION,’ REPLIED DALVER, EXHAUSTION LACED IN HIS VOICE.

I SIGHED,’ DON’T WORRY I ASSUMED AS MUCH, BUT DON’T WORRY I BELIEVE I WILL TOO SOON PASS OUT MOST LIKELY FROM BLOOD LOSS THOUGH.’

A MOMENT OF SILENCE PASSED.’YOU THINK WE WON?’ ASKED MY BROTHER. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE DESTRUCTION. A FIRE WAS STILL RAGING DOWN ON THE BATTLEFIELD, SPREADING AND MORE THAN LIKELY WOULD BE THE DOOM OF MORE THAN A FEW VILLAGES. BUT THE ZONE OF INITIAL IMPACT, I ASSUMED, WOULD BE NOTHING BUT ASH.

‘WELL, I’D ASSUME OUR TROOPS DOWN THERE WOULD SAY WE LOST, BUT THOSE NOBLEMEN ON THEIR HIGH HORSES WHO NEVER EVEN WENT TO SEE THOSE THEY SENT TO THEIR DEATH OFF, I WOULD IMAGINE IF THEY WOULD BE VERY SATISFIED WITH THIS OUTCOME.’ MY ANSWER SEEMED TO SATISFY HIM.

‘I GUESS THAT’S WHAT’S IMPORTANT, ISN’T IT?

‘YES…I GUESS IT IS,’ SAID I UNCONVINCINGLY. I WATCHED MY BROTHER AS HE LAID HIS BACK ON THE SOFTNESS OF THE GRASS. I COULDN’T BLAME HIM. MY BODY ACHED IN WAYS THE HUMAN BODY WASN’T MEANT TO ENDURE. BUT LIKE ALWAYS, THEY WOULD PATCH ME UP, AND I WOULD KEEP FIGHTING LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. I ALWAYS WONDERED AT TIMES LIKE THIS. HOW MUCH LONGER I COULD KEEP IT UP. EVENTUALLY, THEY WOULD STOP UNDERESTIMATING MY BROTHER AND SEND MORE AND MORE AFTER HIM. HOW LONG BEFORE THEY SEND MORE THEN I CAN HANDLE? I DISMISSED THESE THOUGHTS. IT WONT CHANGE ANYTHING. I WILL CONTINUED TO FIGHT. I WILL CONTINUE TO PROTECT. I LOOKED TO MY BROTHER, WHO WAS SNORING LIGHTLY ON THE SOFT DIRT. I FELT MY VISION START TO DARKEN AND MY LIMBS GREW HEAVY. I KNEW THAT MY TIME WAS UP SO I TOO LAID ON THE SOFT DIRT. THE DECISION WAS OUT OF MY HAND AS UNCONSCIOUSNESS STARTED TO DIG ITS CLAWS INTO ME. I WONDER IF I’LL WAKE UP AGAIN. THESE WERE MY LAST THOUGHTS BEFORE THE DARKNESS TOOK ME.