Fort Shatler is where most recruits from the south train to become soldiers. Its granite walls have stood for centuries, the buildings as old as the Empire itself.

Named after the Shatler Islands just a few kilometres from the shore, it established itself as a line of defence from the savage inhabitants that once lived on the islands.

Wolf-like beasts that are a danger to the free society of the Cinari and its borders.

Well, that is what the plaque says in the command room. Near it are various trophies and artefacts from the island. One artefact is a wooden helmet that almost appears to be a crude outline of a Dog’s skull with red painting around the eye sockets.

Such primitive inventions. Clearly they didn’t deserve their homeland if they were using wood as armour. In a way, it is good that we took over the Shaltler islands and subjugated them. Without our help, they couldn’t have survive in this new world.

‘It’s been over three hundred years since we took the Shatler Islands,’ The Commander says while he walks into the room casually. ‘Three hundred years, and it all built up to this. Remarkable, isn’t it Volas?’

‘It’s good to meet you, Commander Thorn.’ I reach my hand out to shake his. He gives me a stern look as he walks away from me to stare at the trophies on display.

‘You came here for a reason, Volas. What do you want to talk about?’

‘Commander Thorn I-’

‘Cut the bullshit formalities, Volas.’ He interjects. ‘We are at war and so far we are losing. So don’t waste my time, get to the point.’

‘My city has control of the webgate, as you and I know, it is important that it stays in our hands. I need your military aid to defend the city from the Dogs.’

Thorn scoffs. ‘So you want me to defend your city for you? I’ve got a whole region to look after. What makes you think I would sacrifice a majority of my force look after your city?’

‘This is the webgate we are talking about here. If you somehow forgot, those gates connect the two capital cities. We must defend it at all costs,’ I say to him as I hold back my annoyance to keep some level of professionalism.

‘From my understanding, Volas, the Capital has blockaded the webgates and set up a perimeter around them. The Dogs won’t have a chance to survive the initial jump into our Capital.’

‘Are you insane!? The Dogs would have easy access to our Capital if they have control of one of the webgates. This technology should, and cannot fall into their hands. We would put our Empire at risk if you don’t help me defend my city,’ I raise my voice at him.

He frowns at me, pausing as he thinks of some stupid excuse.

‘Volas, I can’t donate men to the city. I can’t protect it. I got two mines full of Dogs, a few villages, and another city to protect. I have my hands full from Rommel’s decision to not ask for the north’s help. Your city is important, but I have a duty to protect the region.’

He has over five thousand soldiers under his command. Even with the region to protect, he can spare a few hundred to help protect my city. Clearly he should know he has the resources to hand over a few men to me. But I don’t think he is interested in helping garrison my city. I need a new plan.

‘I’m not asking you to garrison my city, Thorn. I have enough men to garrison the city, just not enough to hold for a long time. I need you to be my relief force.’

He turns to me, raising a brow. ‘I don’t see how that’ll give us any strategic gains. Nor do I believe it’ll benefit my cause.’

‘Maybe not, however, it will say a lot about you. Commander Thorn, Hero of the Empire and protector of the city of Tundo. People will see you as a hero if you save my city. In times like this, people need legends to look up to.’

Thorn grins. ‘I like that, “Hero of the Empire.”’ He chuckles. ‘If I do help save your city, I require one thing from you.’

‘What is it?’

‘I hate the beds here. Frankly, I hate this old fort in general. Deliver me the best bed available in the city and bring it here. And have a room reserved for me, with maids to serve me fresh food.’

‘Deal! Now let’s talk abou-’

‘Commander Thorn and Commander Regali, Commander Earl would request you two to head to the war room at the Crystal Kingdom at once,’ a courier interrupts me.

‘Thank you, you may tell him we will be there soon.’ Thorn waves him off.

‘We can talk about the defence of your city later. First, we’ve got to hear the big man himself.’

Thorn fixes his uniform while heading out of the room.

I glance back at the wooden helmet, staring down where the eyes would be. The red paint on the helmet looks like it is glaring back at me.

Chills run down my spine as I look at its barbaric structure. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were cannibals on their islands. They don’t seem clever enough to hunt or farm.

I shake my head, I can theorise about their savage lives at a later date. First, I need to see what Rommel wants from me.

Thorn and I head into his personal carriage to make our way to the kingdom. During the ride we talk extensively about how to defend my city, and how and when to give the egotistic man his ceremonial awards.

He doesn’t strike me as an idiot. Self-centred and unimaginative to a certain degree, but not a fool. He sees the Dog threat as much as I do, and he understands that they are not to be taken lightly.

I wonder if there are other Commanders like him.

For now, we sit in silence, nothing more to talk about. The only thing I care about is my city. I don’t need to know his personal life or military career. I didn’t come for his life story. So we sit, waiting to arrive at our destination.

‘There is going to be more to this meeting than how the Dragon Fleet dealt with the slaves, Volas. I think the Empress is going to give out titles,’ Thorn says, breaking the silence.

‘What made you come to that conclusion?’

The Empress giving out titles would only mean one thing. We are at war. The Dogs are just rebels, with no real government or land to speak of. Dangerous, but not what I would say a status to be worthy to be called a war. A campaign maybe, or a rebellion, maybe even a civil war. But he might have some other opinion on the case.

‘After Kaval was sent north to await trial to be hanged for cowardice. The Empress herself and The Council wanted to listen to his account of the Dogs. The next day, he was pardoned and ordered to plan the defence of the north. I don’t know what is happening, but something is going on up north that I don’t fully understand it.’

‘How do you know all of this? Shouldn’t I know this as well?’

Thorn chuckles. ‘Politics, my friend. We are trained to think our officers are communicating everything to each other, but that is far from the truth. Some officers like to climb the social ladder by any means necessary, even if it means stepping on a few good people. You shouldn’t be surprised that you didn’t know, you weren’t meant to.’

If someone is not telling me the right information, does that mean the war is even worse than I thought?

Husan, while a useless colonist, gives me relatively up-to-date information about the war.

Is Thorn not telling me something?

‘So what does that all mean? Will we get any help from the north?’ I ask him.

‘It could mean a lot of things. We could get support or be left to die, to slow down the slave forces. It isn’t up to the leader of the entire conflict. If you’re lucky, you could get a title and some benefits.’

‘Isn’t the General of the Army the one in charge of the conflict? They would have a better understanding of what is going on,’ I say to him.

Thorn shakes his head. ‘Oh Volas, if only you knew sooner. We don’t have the final say on how the war will go, on what gets funded or not. Our job is to make sure the whole thing works. Not to lead it.’ We nod to each other as to say the conversation is over.

To think our officers don’t directly control our military, with the only exception being the Empress herself, is absurd.

Either he is actually stupid and believes in that silly conspiracy, damaging my previous perception of him, or he is just saying that to make me doubt our Empire’s military. Testing me to see if my faith in the Empire is weak.

Yet it doesn’t sound like he is lying. I can’t understand why a man of his status, with years of experience, would believe that. Is he partaking in it openly and doesn’t care if I know?

After a few hours of waiting, we finally arrive at the Crystal Kingdom. We waste no time in heading to the war room.

The middle of the room has a table with items on top with a white cloth lies on top of the times. I can’t make out what is under the fabric, except maybe sheets of metal or broken building materials. Whatever it is, it must be important enough to be here.

‘Please stand for the General of Her Highness’ army,’ a guard says as we all rise from our seats to face the door.

Rommel walks in, grinning at every one of us in the room with his hands behind his back. He walks over to the table at the centre of the room and rubs his hands on the fabric.

‘The Dogs attacked us at Bunker Hill two days ago.’ He laughs maniacally, where we all stand in silence, confused at what he is talking about.

‘The barbarians had no chance against our holy fleet. Their ranks are destroyed and their dead piled up in the hundreds.’ He looks directly towards me, revealing his teeth as he grins.

‘You may be seated,’ he waves to us as we sit down. ‘Their army is annihilated. They have retreated deeper into the forest while setting up primitive defences overlooking Bunker Hill. Victory is within our grasp, but I need a relief force to be sent there to liberate the region. So as General of the army, I will require all of you to hand over a considerable force to me to end this war, once and for all.’

The room drowns in silence. An old Commander stands up and applauds the General. Other Commanders follow suit to clap like sheep to appease the old man and Rommel.

I and the other half of the command structure just sat there in silence, unimpressed by the news.

This couldn’t be the only reason, just one battle and we’ve won?

Rommel raises his hand to silence the room.

‘While they have caused trouble for us and taken the lives of our brave men and women. After going over the battlefield to see what type of gear they have. I can ensure that you have nothing to fear.’

Rommel pulls the cloth off the table. On it is a sword, a chest plate, a spearhead, and a helmet that resembles the top part of their skull. The helm looks similar to the wooden helmet at Fort Shatler. All of it is made with a black metallic material that is savagely hammered and warped to be what the Dogs wanted it to be. The sword is just a large cleaver, their armour only made to cover certain parts of the body. So many flaws and yet, they fought this far and gained so much land.

‘How many of our men do we have to hand over to your relief force?’ Thorn asks Rommel.

‘I will require fifty percent of all of your forces.’

The room erupts in chatter at Rommel’s reply. For the past three weeks, I could only raise a force of one thousand soldiers. Not including the Outriders or Handcock’s knights. Half of them gone will put my city at risk.

Rommel raises his hand to silence us. ‘All up, it will mean I would have command of over eleven thousand soldiers. Enough to take back our lost territories. As well as to step up outpost to further secure the regions previously lost to the Dogs.’

‘Will the north come down to aid us?’ I shout. The room’s attention falls on me, as the Commanders face me to see what I have to say.

Rommel frowns, crossing his arms while he taps his shoulders. ‘There won’t be a need for such an order. We have buckled them down in the region, and with this relief force, they will not be able to rebuild or pose a threat to us ever again.’

‘The support of the north can bolster the relief force. We can call upon the navy to organise an amphibious landing on the coast to make the Dogs fight on two fronts. Even with our current relief force, we can end the war quicker and save more lives during the process.’

‘Don’t be a fool, Regali!’ The old Commander shouts at me. ‘If you haven’t known, the Dragon Fleet and the Praetorian Guard will assist the relief force. The slaves have no hope against our current numbers.’

‘Regali is right!’ Thorn slams his hand on the table. ‘Assistance from the north would put the end to this war more quickly than our current plan. We shouldn’t face them alone.’

‘Don’t be fucking stupid,’ another Commander speaks out.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The room of Commanders, the Empires’ brilliant minds, devolves into a shouting match. Half of the room supports Rommel, while the other half supports my plan.

As we bicker for solutions, to have the north support us or fight the Dogs alone, we throw insults at one another, speculating about other’s cowardice or idiocy.

‘Silence!’ Rommel yells, his face turning a fiery red. ‘As General of the army, I have the final say on how this will end. Unlike you, Regali, I have experienced war. I know how to end it! You only know the theory behind it. The rest of you are the same! You don’t know my experience or see how long it took me to get to this position. And since you like to doubt my leadership, Regali, I will demand you hand over three-quarters of your garrison force. Fail to meet my demands and I will hang you for insubordination. Do I make this clear?’

I freeze, only around three hundred men to garrison my city. I grind my teeth, staring the man down.

‘Yes sir, I do.’ I couldn’t. I couldn’t make my situation worse than what it already is.

‘Good!’ He sneers. ‘I will be expecting to have my relief force here in six days. Any later, and you will face the consequences. Dismissed!’

The Commanders and Rommel leave the war room in haste. No time to discuss when we had a short deadline.

I head to the table, looking at the black metal helmet. The weight of it is surprisingly heavy. How in the Gods’ names could they find wearing this comfortable?

At a closer look, the helmet is thicker than any of our heavy armour. I couldn’t imagine our arrows could pierce this excessive layer of pure black iron.

Yet why the skull design? Did they somehow retain some of their culture? Or is it just their idea of psychological warfare?

‘I guess it won’t matter in the end,’ I say to myself while I put the helmet down. I have to head back to my city and deliver the news.

I head to the webgate within the Crystal Kingdom. The webgate is in a tall tower that overlooks the city, made out of hardened magic crystal and green marble. A beautiful structure.

The webgate looks like some sort of eye, always watching, as if the Gods are judging us for our actions. Maybe they are, given how the war is going so far.

I walk past the guards, giving my reasons and jurisdiction to use the webgate. The process feels like it takes years, as I wait for my blessings by the nuns to go through the gate.

Once through the wall of magical light, I emerge into Tunda city. Checkpoints and barricades litter the city. Guards patrol every street corner, the rhythmic steps from their marching becoming the new music of the city. The smell of mud and dirt pollute the air.

Gone are the traders and the colours. Only the flags of the Empire fly high from every street corner.

I miss the colours and beauty, the smell of spices bringing life to every alleyway. For the time I’ve been here, the lively city became a fortification. Not dead, nor alive. A husk of its former glory, a shadow of what is lost.

War never came to Tunda, no battle was near its walls, yet, it is knocking on our doors.

I head to the barracks to see Hannah and Huson waiting at the entrance.

‘We heard that you went to the Crystal Kingdom. Anything we need to know?’ Hannah asks me.

‘I need three-quarters of our soldiers sent to the Crystal Kingdom. General Earl is organising a relief force. In six days, they will march west,’ I respond to Hannah with an angry sigh.

‘Who do you want me to send over?’ Hannah asks.

‘Send our best men, but we’ll keep anyone who owns a horse and can ride one,’ I say as I head to my office.

‘What about my men?’ Huson stops me.

‘I won’t have the relief force’s efforts be jeopardised by inferior soldiers! So you will stay with me. We’ll give this city some defence even if your help is virtually zero,’ I spit.

‘How dare you!’ Huson shouts at me. ‘My men have more combat experience than anyone here. We fought against rebels and traitors in our homelands. And you have the audacity to call us inferior soldiers?’

I turn to face the brute. ‘You colonist don’t have anything compared to the Cinaris troops. You can’t even win against an inexperienced farm boy. I can’t imagine you or your men winning against slaves.’

Huson draws his sword while he snatches another off a soldier passing by.

‘You’re like every other Commander I’ve met. Arrogant and full of shit! If you are a man, prove it to me! Show everyone that a colonist is an inferior soldier.’

He throws one sword towards my feet. Every guard at the courtyard stops what they’re doing to watch us.

‘Don’t be stupid!’ Hannah protest. ‘We shouldn’t fight each other when war is just around the corner.’

‘Get out of the way, Hannah. I won’t let this colonist reject disrespect me,’ I command.

Her eyes widen in shock by my words. ‘Volas, stop this. You can’t win this.’

‘He is a colonist, anyone can win against him.’ I pick the sword up from the ground as I glare at Huson.

‘Step aside, Hannah. This fool needs to learn about the Outriders’ true worth,’ Huson growls.

Hannah calmly steps aside, mumbling to herself in frustration.

This will end here. I raise my sword, pointing it towards him. While bracing myself for anything he throws at me.

Huson keeps his guard down, his sword pointing towards the ground.

How inexperienced must he be? To have a weapon pointed away from his opponent.

He strides towards me, his foot gliding on the ground with each step slamming the ground like thunder. I lunge my sword towards him. In a flash, he knocks my sword away with one hand and raises his blade to my throat.

‘Again!’ He shouts.

I knock his sword away with my own. I went to slash his chest. He steps aside, making me miss my blow.

He punches the side of my face, knocking me to the ground as blood oozes from my nose.

As I look up, the tip of his sword faces directly at my face.

The bastard will pay for this. I won’t let that dirty colonist win against me!

‘Again!’ He shouts once more while he throws his sword away.

What an idiot to throw his weapon away.

I jump up, wiping the blood from my nose. I charge towards him, aiming for his heart as I thrust my sword to end the sorry excuse of a Sergeant.

He grabs the blade with one hand and punches the sword’s side with the other, snapping it in two pieces.

How did he do that?

Before I can plan my next move, he collides his fist directly into my face, knocking me down again.

Before I can get up, he slams his body on top of mine while he beats me senseless.

Every blow being harder than the last, making me spit blood from my mouth. Everyone watches as I wiggle, trying to break free from his grip until I have no more energy left to continue to fight back.

For a moment, he stops. He grabs my neck to make me look at him.

‘People like you Volas don’t deserve to live!’ Huson whispers as he pulls a knife out from his back pocket. He raises the knife above his head.

The world slows down as my end is in sight.

Killed by a colonist under my command. I didn’t just fail this city. I lost to a colonist. It shouldn’t be possible, it shouldn’t end like this! Gods forgive me.

Huson plunges his knife down, only for it to be knocked out of his hand by another blade.

‘Enough!’ Hannah raises her sword to Huson’s throat. ‘He has learned his lesson.’

‘Are you serious, Hannah? You would stand for a Commander who would undermine his own soldiers? My soldiers!’ Huson growls at her.

‘You just demonstrated that you are capable to fight for him. For your Empire. Killing him would only make things worse for all of us.’

‘It would be justice!’ Huson shouts.

‘No Huson! If you do it, the Outriders will be disbanded. You and everyone under you would be labelled as traitors. Don’t ruin your legacy by making this mistake.’

Huson pauses as he faces me. ‘Fine.’ He gets off me. ‘But if he disrespects me or my men again, I won’t give him a second chance.’ He stomps off.

Hannah looks down at me. ‘I think you are right for keeping Huson here. He and his Outriders can help defend this city. But you can’t continue to treat them the same way anymore, Volas. They are the only people you’ve got to defend this city. You should’ve realised this by now.’ Hannah walks off, giving me the cold shoulder.

I get up to see my men looking directly towards me, shaking their heads at me before heading off to do their own thing. I stumble to my office as blood drips from my nose.

As much as I hate it, she is right. They are all I’ve got. Huson’s Outriders and Handcock’s knights. They are all that I have to defend this city with, none of them are not as good as the Cinaris soldiers.

No! They are not the same quality as Cinaris soldiers. They are something different. No man could easily break a sword like that. I have been trained to use a weapon, and me getting swept aside like it was nothing…

Dear Gods, if I can’t handle a colonist, how could I deal with a slave? A Dog from the mines? I have no hope to fight in this war.

Has our Empire been doomed to fail? Is this a sign that the Cinari people are going to die out? I couldn’t have lost! I shouldn’t! But I did, right in front of everyone, in front of my own men. In front of Hannah.

I have done more than fail them. I’ve failed the Empire.

The next day didn’t improve. My nose stopped bleeding, but it’s now crooked from the fight. My face is sore from the bruising, and the embarrassment that I lost to him is unbearable.

I couldn’t sleep with the guilt. The shame of it all. I hope the Gods made him win as some sort of divine punishment for questioning the General.

It doesn’t matter either way. Why would it? I’ve lost, and crying about it won’t save this city.

I head to my desk to bring out the necklace the Shaman gave me. It’s dull silver chain entangling my hand and fingers.

The blue gem, unremarkable in its design, rests on my palm. He said it would protect me from harm. Maybe it can, but I doubt it.

I put the necklace around my neck and tuck it under my uniform. Today I need to head to a mine to see what I am dealing with. Tomorrow I will look into the eyes of monsters.

I make my way to the stables, passing by soldiers packing up their belongings as they prepare to march out to the Crystal Kingdom. Oh Gods, let them come home safely.

I open the barn door, the stock of horses is divided into two sections. The Outriders have half of the stable, while the other half belongs to us.

The Outriders’ horses are groomed and cleaned. They braid their manes and tails to have this waterfall effect. They are strong, built like a house and healthier than an ox, which makes them perfect light cavalry horses.

One horse has a little trinket tied to the end of its braided mane. The symbol of Malilinia, a mountain region in Theasia.

I turn to see the Cinaris horses. They are clean overall, but their manes are dirty and thin. They are healthy, but not as strong compared to the Outriders’ horses.

It seems that if the colonist got something right, it’s looking after and maintaining good quality horses. Maybe there is something we can learn from them after all.

I head over to the hanging rack to grab my saddle to place it on my horse.

Huson walks into the room with a bucket in one hand and a scrubber in the other. He walks past me to groom the horse with the Malilinia trinket. Huson keeps silent while he works away on his horse as I saddle up mine.

‘Is it custom to braid up your horses and put trinkets on them?’ I ask him.

‘Mmm hmm,’ Huson replies, keeping his focus on his horse.

I walk behind him. ‘I have an order I need you to follow.’

‘That is what?’ Huson growls.

‘Stand up and face me and I’ll tell you.’

Huson puts his items down as he faces me. Clearly not interested in what I have to say.

‘Make your demands.’ He hisses.

‘By today, I need you and your Outriders to teach my men how to look after their horses.’

Huson raises a brow. ‘That’s all, Volas?’

‘Yes, it is.’ I open the stable doors, guiding my horse out of the room.

‘Why do you want my Outriders to teach the Cinari men how to look after their horses? Aren’t we just colonist? Inferior to the common Cinari soldier?’ He crosses his arms in front of me.

I stop in my tracks. ‘Sometimes it is best to learn from others, even if they are colonist.’ Huson nods to me as he goes back to groom his horse.

I mount my horse, riding out of the city and into the open fields, following the trail to Bravens mine.

The surrounding peasants watch as I leave the city. None of them wave at me, nor do they ignore me. They only look at me, their faces in despair, their eyes seeing doom.

Winter is coming soon, and war might as well be here.