CG Chapter 108: The Unfallen Radiant King.
As the thousands of Eternal Flames soldiers entered the city one after another, the terrified screams of the citizens quickly alerted the guards and the palace that they had been deceived by the enemy and that something was wrong.
By the time the alarms were raised, it no longer mattered, as the war had transformed from a siege, where they held the advantage, to a chaotic battle inside the city.
The Eternal Flames army moved carefully. The soldiers in front formed an unshakable defensive line.
While those in the rear marched and joyously sang, their voices mixed with the reality of the situation created a strange atmosphere in the city streets.
“We have come from beyond the river,
Greetings to the people here anew.
The fire eternal burns all, a poison to evil,
And the warmth of a mother to all else.
Greetings from the river’s edge,
We come with open arms to you all.”
Although they were invading the city, the Eternal Flames army made sure not to hurt even a single hair of any non-hostile civilian.
This was done for several reasons. Firstly, attacking civilians wouldn’t only waste time and energy, but more importantly, it would destroy the image of the ‘heroes in the dark’ that they had been building until now.
You should also remember that some of the soldiers here have families in Daybreak.
With the initial screams of the citizens and the singing of the army that followed, it didn’t take long for the palace and the city army to shift their forces back to the northwestern side.
However, this time, they didn’t make the same mistake, as they had left more guards to warn them if anything happened on the other side.
Thud Thud Thud
Time quickly passed, and just as the sun started to rise, the two forces on each side faced each other in the narrow street. This street, which was designed for the protection of the capital, had now become an asset to the invaders.
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Leading Daybreak’s forces stood a towering man, his blonde hair flowing like strings of gold, dragging a single-headed golden Morningstar behind him.
Folek immediately recognized the man he had once knelt before as his king.
Lucas Morningstar, The Unfallen Radiant King.
Looking at the attacking army in front of him, Lucas’s golden eyes seemed to have lost all hope in this world as he shook his head.
“Should I call you Folek von Flameheart, the Blood Baron, or the traitor who has forsaken his ancestors’ legacy and betrayed his king? Tell me, have you no shame for what you’ve done? You’ve turned your back on the gods themselves.”
Raising his hands to the heavens, Lucas began to pray aloud, his deep voice reverberating through the street, shaking the hearts of both armies.
“Oh, merciful gods above, have pity upon this lost lamb and grant thy servant strength as your shepherd, that I might guide them all back to thine eternal kingdom in one piece.”
Folek watched the act, unimpressed. “You can pray all you like,” he said coldly. “But today, only you and I will decide this battle. So tell me, will the Unfallen Radiant King dare to face me alone?” Folek provoked, wanting to get rid of his greatest threat first before moving to the others.
Unfortunately, the only thing he was met with was Lucas's faint smile.
“The gods have shown me signs in my dreams not to repeat the mistakes of the foolish ones before me. For today, we shall stand victorious over your dead bodies.”
With that, Lucas raised his Morningstar high and roared, “Attack!”
In an instant, the street erupted into chaos as the soldiers clashed, like two waves crashing against each other or maddened dogs biting at one another.
Quickly, soldiers began to fall on both sides as they tried to break through each other’s defenses, and great heroes emerged on both sides.
On the Eternal Flames’ side, a soldier leapt through the air and soared over the enemy line with astonishing agility. Using his momentum, he kicked one of Daybreak’s soldiers into another before darting toward a new target to avoid being surrounded.
His movements caused chaos among the defenders, weakening their lines.
Meanwhile, on Daybreak’s side, a warrior wielding a long spear held his ground, slashing at anyone who dared to approach. He swung his spear ruthlessly, cracking the skulls of many attackers.
In the middle of the chaos, a soldier named Macaw held two curved axes and began throwing them at Daybreak’s soldiers. The axes slashed the necks of several soldiers before returning to his hands like boomerangs.
The battle raged on, both sides locked in a brutal stalemate.
Folek and Lucas remained in the middle, observing the deaths of their soldiers. They knew that joining the battle now would only cause them to exhaust themselves on the weaker pawns, leaving them with no energy to defend when the true enemy attacked.
Folek kept his eyes locked on Lucas. He knew that at this rate, even if they won this battle, the cost would be too high, making the eventual faceoff against the two remaining kingdoms a lot harder.
He fully understood that he had to do something to lure that rat out of its hole, but the question was what? Until now, Lucas had shown him just how shameless he could be. Neither morality nor emotion could be used against him.
It took Folek only a couple more minutes to finally find a way.
Drawing his sword, Folek stepped forward, as he slashed it through the air in a full arc.
His voice rang out, echoing across the entire battlefield. “Lucas, you may not care for your men, but as a commander under the Eternal Flames, I will not stand by and watch my soldiers die for me!”
“Today, we shall see who is truly merciful. Your gods or our Eternal Flame!”
The words struck like a thunderclap. The soldiers of the Eternal Flames seemed to have their spirits reignited, their morale surging like wildfire as they fought fiercer than ever before.
On the other side, the soldiers of Daybreak continued to hold their lines, but their true thoughts could not be concealed. Doubt and fear began to creep into their minds as they were steadily pushed back by the now berserk and bloodthirsty soldiers of the Eternal Flames.
With a single act, Folek had masterfully used emotions to win both the hearts and minds of his soldiers, while also shaking the faith of his enemy’s forces.
A faint smirk crossed his lips as he watched the tides of the battle shift, knowing that he still had one more move if things turned sour.