Marsal Evertin

The moon was high in the sky, and in the darkness of the night, the galloping of horses echoed. I was in the back of one of the many carriages heading to Nepenthes, huddled and wrapped in a warm leather blanket. After the various collapses that occurred years ago, expeditions were organized to contain the monsters, and others to exterminate them. I left the academy to take part in them, hoping to somehow help Roseth, but it was a complete failure. I couldn't even find the dungeon where he was imprisoned.

Now I was part of the largest expedition, with 500 soldiers, heading to Nepenthes with the aim of killing the colony of lesser dragons that had dominated the fields in the east of my homeland for years.

"Marsal, are you still awake?" Esme whispered to my left.

"Yes, I can't sleep."

"Are you still worried about your brother, huh?" she guessed.

"I couldn't help him, and I dragged you into this. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, my studies at the academy have ended, so I can see this as a kind of exercise."

"Exercise?" I said irritated. "How can you call a deadly battle like the one we're about to face an exercise?"

Esme turned to the other side, giving me her back, and changed the subject. "Have you heard about the ambassadors who arrived in the capital?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" I replied, yawning.

"There were two, one from the kingdom of Aeloria, east of Dorth, and the other from Sylvanea, northeast. Both requested the delivery of a specific object, but the request was immediately declined by the king himself."

"And what was this requested object?" I asked curiously.

"They decided to keep it hidden. I don't know what it is, but if it's in such high demand, it could lead to a war. Before that happens, I need to gain battlefield experience."

"So you're doing all this just based on a supposition?" I inquired.

"Well, let's say so."

I started to laugh softly, trying not to wake the other soldiers in the carriage.

"What's so funny?" Esme asked with an annoyed tone.

"Nothing."

Our conversation ended, and we both were overtaken by sleep, and in no time, we fell asleep.

"Hey, Marsal, wake up, we've arrived," Esme said, shaking me.

"Already?" I said, yawning.

"Marsal, I don't know if you've noticed, but you've been sleeping all morning, and it's already lunchtime."

I sat up and started to stretch. The midday sun shone high in the clear sky, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees, creating a pleasant sound. All the carriages had stopped in a vast green field, an hour's walk from the colony. Soldiers were cooking lunch, while others were training for the battle.

"Here," Esme threw me an apple, and I caught it. "This is your lunch."

"Huh? Didn't you bring any meat?" I asked, surprised.

"Marsal," Esme looked away embarrassed, "I might have forgotten it at home."

How can someone be so stupid...

"I'll treat you to something once we get back to make up for it," Esme promised. "I swear."

"Hey, guys!" Elya approached us, waving. She was a beautiful girl with long blond hair and blue eyes, just like my brother. She wore a red breastplate and a black woolen shirt underneath, and her hands were covered in leather gloves.

"Ah, hi Elya," Esme greeted her. "What are those things you have on your head?"

At that moment, I also noticed that the girl's hair was adorned on both sides with a kind of butterfly wing made of colored crystals.

"These?" she touched them. "They're relics given to me by my father. They have the ability to enhance my mana, and they also look nice."

"Well, you're right, they make you look more like a lady." observed Esme.

"Are you saying that I usually look like a man!?" Elya exclaimed in annoyance.

"Well, you're more muscular than both me and Marsal combined, and you spend the whole day training..." I put my hand on Esme's mouth to stop him, but it was too late, an ominous aura was building around the girl.

"Calm down, Elya." I said, but she ignored me.

She looked at us, and I backed away, terrified. "So you're one of those who think war is a man's affair, huh?" Elya approached the white-haired boy threateningly.

"I didn't mean to give that impression, please forgive me..." the girl kicked Esme in the crotch, and he screamed in pain.

A satisfied smile returned to Elya's face. "Anyway, today we'll be on the same team, it's been a while."

"Did something happen to your group?" I was surprised by her statement.

"No, they'll go to the front line as usual, but my father forbade me" Elya explained.

"You should be happy; it means he cares about you" I said, biting my apple.

"I know, but he's the kingdom's strategist. If his decisions were influenced by my presence on the battlefield, it would be a problem." Elya said, worried.

"Get ready, we're about to start the march!" a fully-armored soldier yelled.

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"Come on, let's go," Elya said, handing a sword to me and Esme.

"Of course, Princess," Esme replied, still in pain.

"Oh, 'Princess' sounds good. From now on, you'll call me that all the time, what do you think?" Elya suggested.

"No way," the white-haired boy retorted. "Why should I do that?"

The girl rested her arm on Esme's neck and pulled him closer. "It wasn't a request; it was an order," Elya whispered in her companion's ear.

"Fine, but in return, you'll let me touch your breasts," Esme requested. There was a piercing silence. It's over, I thought. Elya blushed with embarrassment and looked down. She's about to explode, there's nothing more I can do to help him.

Esme looked at me bewildered, as if to say, "What did I say wrong?" He was too naive. Elya let go of Esme and punched him in the stomach. "Hey, why did you hit me?" the white-haired boy asked, placing his hand on his aching belly.

"Stupid," Elya replied as she walked away.

I laughed and followed the girl. "Esme, hurry up, or we'll leave you here," I said, biting into my juicy apple.

We reached the gathering point, where a dense crowd of soldiers had already assembled. A towering man in red armor blew a horn to get everyone's attention.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Ton," he said. "I'll lead this expedition. As you know, the formation has already been decided, and each group knows its position. So, let's get started. Just follow me; I will lead you to the colony."

Ton turned his back to us, and everyone, including us, followed suit.

At that moment, we were heading for the eastern part of Nepenthes. My mother worked in one of those fields, and during the disaster, she was likely there with Roseth. Now, it's a dangerous place because of the colony of lesser dragons. Going there without a large squad like this one would be fatal, which is why I had never been there before.

"I see you're lost in thought, Marsal. Everything okay?" Elya asked.

"Yes, no problem," I replied.

"But—"

"Leave him be, Elya. He's probably still thinking about his brother," Esme interjected.

"Oh, sorry," she said apologetically.

"No, it's okay."

"That incident must have been really terrible," Elya commented. "Just a few days ago, a survivor joined the academy. She said that on that day, she was only 4 years old, and she saw her mother being killed right in front of her."

"How did she survive?" Curious, Esme asked.

"She said she was helped by a group of kids. She said there were two earth mages, a wind mage, and a boy who could materialize mana weapons."

I was surprised by the girl's words. There are very few who can use pure mana, and she also mentioned a child. The chances that it was Roseth were high. Thinking of him, a tear rolled down my cheek.

Esme, looking at me, seemed to understand the situation and chimed in. "Did she tell you their names?"

"Well, I think the boy's name was Roseth, but she didn't tell me anything about the others," Elya explained.

Esme approached me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Did you hear, Marsal? There's no doubt it's him."

"You know him?" The confused girl asked.

"The girl, did she say what happened to the boy?" I asked, summoning the courage. Seeing Elya's embarrassed expression, I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

"A dungeon collapsed under them," the girl explained. "Roseth fell inside along with the wind mage."

Something doesn't add up. If the dungeon collapsed, the barrier should have broken. So why is Roseth still trapped inside? Did someone reactivate it?

"That boy is your brother, isn't he?" Elya asked, sounding sympathetic.

"Yes, there's no doubt it's him," I affirmed, keeping my gaze low.

"Well, you should be proud of him," the blonde girl said. "From what she told me, your brother fought without fear and with great skill against those beasts. At first, she was scared of him, but then it was Roseth who saved her by carrying her out of the square. To her, he's like a hero."

I tried to hold back my tears, but failed, and tears began to flow uncontrollably. I thought I had gotten used to it, but whenever I think about my family, it always ends like this.

"Marsal, you're crying. Are you sure you're okay?" Esme asked, sounding concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it'll pass sooner or later," I replied.

"Yes, be optimistic," the white-haired boy said, patting me on the back. "I'm sure your brother is doing well. To fight against those beasts at only 3 years old, he must be really tough, right?"

"You're right," I agreed, wiping away the tears.

Our march continued, and as we approached the colony, more and more lesser dragons began to attack us, initially individually and then in small groups. The lesser dragons were real dragons, but they were smaller in size, about as large as a bear. In the distance, you could see a swarm of these creatures protecting their home.

Before we got closer, we were ordered to take our positions. Having to face the lesser dragons inside their den, we expected attacks from all sides, so we arranged ourselves in a circle, divided into groups of three people. At the center, there were groups of five healers we needed to protect from the creatures.

We continued to march towards the colony. We climbed a small hill, and in front of us, an enormous crater appeared, from which hundreds of dragons emerged.

"Is this the colony?" Esme asked, gazing at the imposing crater before us.

"Of course, what else could it be?" Elya replied abruptly.

"Well, you're right."

"Get ready; the swarm is heading towards us; they're about to attack," I intervened, drawing my sword from its sheath.

"Prepare for battle!" Ton shouted, alerting everyone.

The lesser dragons approached us, shooting fireballs en masse. I created a water barrier around us, protecting us. Other soldiers took precautions, some creating stone shields, others destroying the fireballs, and some dodging.

The barrage of fireballs continued relentlessly, without giving us a chance to counterattack.

"Marsal, with this barrier, we can't kill them," Elya observed.

"I know, but we can't stay unprotected," I explained.

"At least let me out," Esme intervened from behind.

"Why should I? You'll be incinerated immediately."

"Then get serious, Marsal. You can't just hold back and protect us. The other soldiers are risking their lives."

"I know, but..."

"Don't be afraid." The boy placed his hand on my shoulder. "Elya and I can defend ourselves."

"Alright, I'll have some fun, but promise me not to die."

"You're underestimating us," Elya retorted.

The water barrier dissolved, and the fireballs started raining down on us. Esme hurled wind blades by swinging her sword, cutting through the fireballs and taking down the dragons. Elya covered her body with a layer of flames, acting as a shield, and using her sword as a rifle, she accumulated mana in the tip, creating a fire projectile and launching it at high speed at the dragons.

I was no less; I continuously materialized massive water lances and fired them in rapid succession at the dragons. Some collided with the fireballs, dissipating them, while others hit their marks. Like us, all the other mages did their part, and in no time, the swarm of lesser dragons was decimated, and their carcasses covered the battlefield.

We were on the verge of victory, ready to celebrate, but a powerful roar echoed through the air. All the soldiers froze in fear.

"What was that?" Esme asked while taking down another lesser dragon.

"I don't know, but judging by the reactions of the others, it doesn't seem to be good," I replied.

Turning to my companions, I noticed Elya looking terrified. "Elya, do you know what that is?"

"I-it's... the roar of a dragon," she stammered.

"Really? If it's just a dragon, then why are you so scared?" Esme noted.

"N-no, you don't understand. I'm not talking about a lesser dragon like the ones we've defeated, but a real dragon," the girl replied, trembling.

Another powerful roar echoed, and something huge began emerging from the crater. It flapped its wings, creating a strong wind, and stared at us as it approached slowly. It was a dragon the size of a building, with dark blue shimmering scales and piercing red eyes.

All the soldiers watched the imposing beast, paralyzed with fear. They had lost all their fighting spirit and seemed to have surrendered to the dragon's power. The beast opened its jaws, and in its mouth, an enormous sphere of light began to form. After a while, a beam shot out, disintegrating the soldiers in the front line.

The beam then began moving toward us at great speed, destroying everything in its path.

That beam seemed too powerful; my barrier wasn't enough to protect me. What should I do?

"Roseth!" Esme shouted from behind.

I turned and saw the boy extending his hand, holding Elya close. "Quick, grab her!" he exclaimed.

With no other options, I decided to listen to him and took his hand. A faint layer of white flames enveloped our three bodies, and we were engulfed by the light beam. Surprisingly, I felt nothing - no pain or burning.

The beam dissipated, and we separated from Esme. "What was that? What did you do?" I asked the boy, surprised.

"I protected you. Any objections?" he replied.

"I know that, but... what was that power?"

"It's not the time for that," Elya interjected.

Looking around, I noticed that our once numerous group of soldiers had been reduced to just a handful of survivors. Among them was Ton and his team.

"You're right," I said. "But what should we do now?"

"To all soldiers!" shouted the man in the red armor. "Retreat; we'll handle the dragon."

Without a second thought, all the survivors began to run away. The dragon opened its jaws again, preparing another attack, but an enormous earth pillar shot up from the ground, hitting its jaw and closing its mouth.

A soldier in a green robe, part of Ton's team, climbed the pillar, running perpendicularly up its side, and found himself face to face with the dragon. He reached out and unleashed a powerful storm of wind blades. The attack looked powerful, but it had no effect on the dragon's resilient scales.

The soldier plummeted, but before touching the ground, he activated a levitation spell, slowing his fall. Meanwhile, the dragon formed a light sphere in its mouth and fired it toward Ton's team. Ton, exhausted from creating the massive pillar, had no mana left to protect himself. A third mage intervened, hurling a fireball that collided with the dragon's light sphere. The two attacks exploded in mid-air.

The fire mage, the soldier in the green robe, and Ton all seemed exhausted. It was only a matter of time before they were obliterated by the dragon.

"Marsal, don't just stand there; let's run!" Esme yelled, pulling my arm.

"Wait," I said, pushing them away. "We can't abandon them; they'll be killed."

"What do you want to do then, defeat that dragon?" the boy snapped.

"I don't want to put you in danger, so you go."

Esme clicked her tongue. "Fine, I'll let you have fun with the dragon, but I'm staying."

"No, let me fight alone," I said, bending my legs, ready to give myself a boost. A water vortex appeared under my feet and exploded, propelling me into the air at high speed.

In an instant, I found myself in front of the dragon's snout. I extended my arms toward it and began gathering water into an enormous sphere. The beast noticed my presence and prepared a sphere of light in response. We both launched our attacks, which collided and dissipated.

I erected a massive water vortex to keep myself in the air, while the dragon flapped its wings and tried to fly away.

Just as I thought, you don't like close combat.

I jumped out of the vortex, accumulated water under my feet, and, pushing it away at high speed, propelled myself above the dragon's head. I powered up my arm until it was completely enveloped in a water current, then struck the dragon on the snout, sending it crashing to the ground. I descended towards it, and in mid-air, I materialized an enormous water lance the size of a bus.

I struck the dragon's back scales with it, managing only to crack them. However, I began to rotate the lance like a drill, piercing through the dragon's cover and into its flesh.

The beast screamed in pain as I plummeted towards the ground, with no mana left to save myself. I did it! I killed it; I managed to protect everyone.

I was about to crash, but my descent suddenly slowed, and I fell into Esme's arms. "Good job, Marsal."

"Esme... thank you, I feel... tired," I said, struggling to keep my eyes open.

"It's okay, rest now. You did an excellent job."

"Thank you."