‘Get into formation!’ Dad shouts, his voice booming across the field to get us ready for the upcoming battle.

‘Form up into three columns!’ I command my archers as they stumble into place, firmly griping their bows behind the main battle line.

I stand in front of my archers with a crystal arrow resting on my string.

No Cinari, no horses, no enemy formations. Just one man on the hill. This isn’t right. We are near the capital and there is only one man. Why isn’t there more of them?

My father barks orders for the furthest left and right flank to stay put before blowing his horn for the rest of us to move forward.

Hooroom!

I freeze into place, my arms and legs locking up. The cold, silent wind breezes pass by us as the army freezes in place. Not a sound, not even a whisper broke our silence. What is that cursed horn?

Hooroom!

My body loosens up, my mind screaming to run back to the forest, away from what is over that hill. No! I can’t. I must stay here. If I run, people will follow my example. By running, I will cause the entire army to fall apart. No one else is fleeing from the sound of the horn. They too froze in fear. My father stands there, unmoved by the horn. Triumphantly standing tall as he faces the hill and the lonesome Cinari on his horse.

His aura is almost soothing, saying we can win this. Maybe he is keeping me in place? Keeping all of us in line?

The ground shakes. My eyes widen as two elegant floating rocks hover over the hill. My throat dries up as the monsters from another world hover above us.

‘Archers! Bring it down!’ Dad shouts. The archers behind me fire their arrows towards the floating rocks. All of them fall before they get near the beast.

I watch the beast in horror, not launching my arrow, staring blankly as the arrows fall from the sky, at the gigantic floating monster from the deepest depths of hell. My mind screams for me to run while my body shakes uncontrollably.

One rock fires a bolt of lighting at one of the columns, shattering the formation with a thunderous crack as its electric flame vaporises anyone caught in the blast. Our silence turns into screams of terror as more and more lightning from the rocks falls from the sky.

Some Dogs run into the forest, escaping their impending doom.

This isn’t the battle we are used to. This is a slaughter!

As Dogs run past my frozen body, shocked to the core by the horror before me. I launch my arrow at the rock without a thought or a plan.

I hit it! I hit the beast!

The arrow didn’t bounce off or fall from the sky. But actually hits the black rock. How is that even possible?

‘Everyone run back to the forest!’ Dad shouts, his voice echoing with fear.

I turn to run to the forest as the earth explodes around me. Blood, dirt, and limbs fall from the sky as the floating demons creep towards us.

From the safety of the forest, I turn towards the field of slaughter, to see my father carrying a Dog with grey fur on his shoulders. Oh, no! Dust is hit!

As my father rushes to the forest a bolt of lightning crashes in front of him, making him fly off to one side while Dust flies off to the other.

‘No!’ I scream in panic. My heart races and my breathing escalates. Dad, Dust. Oh no, oh for the love of anything good in this world no! I can’t let them stay there. I can’t leave them like this!

‘You!’ I point to three Dogs next to me as they are about to run deeper into the forest. ‘Get Marak to safety! We can’t lose him!’

I run to Dust as the rocks are directly above me.

I grab him by the shoulders to drag him to safety.

The Dogs behind me rush to Dad to pick him up before they run back to the forest.

The rocks stop firing while they turn around and float back to the hill. Their soft humming fades away as they drift away from their massacre.

Oh thank goodness, thank goodness it is over.

Dust coughs violently. ‘Put me down,’ he whimpers. I place him next to a tree to treat him of any injuries.

His body and parts of his face are burnt from the attack, blood gushing out from every wound. I can see his cheekbone as the flesh from it loosely hangs from his jaw.

‘You’re going to be okay. I’ll patch you up,’ I say to him as I rub the tears from my eyes while I tear off parts of my shirt and pants to cover his wounds, trying to stop the bleeding.

Dust coughs. ‘I bet you will, kid,’ he chuckles. ‘I… I bet you will.’

‘I will Dust,’

I apply pressure to his chest with the ripped fabric of my shirt, his blood soaking through it instantly. He puts his hand on top of mine.

‘You… are a… a good kid.’ He coughs as he spits out blood. ‘I… wish more… were like you…’

His voice fade as he speaks to me. He doesn’t have long. I can’t fail him.

I place another rag onto the blood soaked one. ‘Everything is going to be okay. You’ll be fine.’

As blood soaks the freshly new bandage, I put another one on. And another till the bleeding stops. I look at him, smiling like an idiot.

But he’s already gone. His eyes void of life.

‘Nonono!’ I cry as I bury my face into the charred corpse of my friend, hugging him tightly as I weep. Covering myself in his blood. ‘I’m so sorry! I’m so, so sorry!’ As I hug him tightly, I cry.

He’s gone, just like that. In my arms, killed by a monster from the skies. We can’t win this! How could we?

It is a mistake to bring him here. I shouldn’t have brought him with me. I did this to him, I killed my friend!

Someone places a hand on my shoulder. I jolt up to see another Dog.

‘Alex, Marak is alive. But… What are we going to do?’ He says to me.

I wipe away my tears, smearing blood across my face. I look back out at the field, at the bodies of our people still laying there. We can’t leave this place, they will come back. Not just with those flying demons, but with an army.

‘Head deeper into the forest and set up camp,’ I command the Dog.

‘Would it be safer if-’

‘No!’ I interrupt him. ‘If we are going to survive, you will follow my orders. Now tell the others to move deeper into the forest and set up defences. They will come back for more.’

He nods as he runs back to the survivors. Pulling out one arrow from my quiver. His special arrow, his prized invention. I break the crystal arrowhead off to put it in his chest pocket.

‘Take this to the afterlife, my friend. If there is one for us.’

I hug him one last time before moving off, leaving him behind, unhurried, alone in the forest.

My gut turns as I turn my back on my comrades, denying them their resting place. I know we won’t have time to handle the dead. Not when our chieftain is injured.

I enter the tent, to see Dad lying on the bed, still unconscious from the battle. Half of his body is covered in bandages. Even in his sleep, he groans as the electric burn grows and spreads all over his body. A current of pain and suffering slowly eating away his body.

Yesterday, only his neck was burnt. Now it is the left side of his face is covered in blisters and boils. I don’t know how long he has left to live, or if he will survive at all.

‘It’s been three days, Dad. Midrax and Max will be here any minute now,’ I whisper to him. ‘I couldn’t get the bodies of our fallen. The Cinari are patrolling the fields, taking our dead away from us. I want to attack them, but I couldn’t. I can’t, in case the sky demons come back.’

I pull out the belt buckle with a flower engraved on it from my pocket. It’s the only personal item he had on him.

‘I’ve got a plan, Dad. I think I know a way to take down those sky beasts. But… never mind. Just come back, okay.’

I pull his hand close to my face, as if he was holding me near, saying everything would be all right. But I don’t know anymore. I don’t know if we can win a war against the Cinari. They have something beyond our understanding. They have control of the skies.

How can we fight something that is beyond us? How did they make them? Where do they come from? Are we doomed? Maybe we are doomed. Maybe this was all for nothing. But I won’t give up without a fight. Not when we got this far.

I place the buckle with a flower etched to it firmly in his hand as I rest it on his chest. ‘Get well, Dad.’

‘And the runt calls our chief his father.’

Midrax barges into the tent, his bulky body taking up most of the room.

‘Is he going to make it?’ he demands, looking over Dad’s body.

‘I’m not-’

‘Marak!’ Max interrupts us as she runs into the tent to Dad’s body. ‘Oh no, not here. Not now!’ She repeats over and over, wrapping her hands around his neck.

‘Anyway. Will he make it, Alex?’ Midrax complains, ignoring Max’s sobs.

‘I don’t know. I honestly don’t know,’ I reply.

Midrax huffs. ‘He can’t lead us then. We need a new leader to step into his role… I will take his place.’

Max looks at Midrax with a furious gaze. ‘No, you won’t. You do not deserve his position. You are just a brute, not a leader! We need someone to lead us. I am his closest… friend. I will take his place.’

‘You two can’t be serious?’ I growl at them. How could they already be looking for a replacement? ‘He is still alive. No one will take his place when he is still here.’

‘And if he dies?’ Midrax towers over me.

I pause, thinking who would be best suited to lead the Dogs. Midrax is an okay leader, but he isn’t bright. I don’t see him having any plans for how to organise supply lines. He is more of a blunt instrument, a tool needed to take on stubborn foes.

Max, however, I can’t trust. I’ve heard she is a good fighter, yet I know nothing of her leadership capabilities. And being dad’s friend? Something isn’t right about her.

‘I am Marak’s son. If he goes, I will take his place.’

‘Don’t be stupid, kid! You don’t have the balls to become our chief.’ Midrax reaches for his axe.

‘And you don’t have the intelligence to unite our people! Neither of you do.’ Max shouts at Midrax and I.

‘I would love to paint the walls with your blood,’ Midrax snarls as Max pulls out a dagger.

We all look at each other intensely, resting our hands on our weapons and waiting to see who will make the first move.

This is ridiculous. We should be working together! Not against each other!

An old Cinari carrying a staff walks into the tent, unamused by our commotion.

‘Did I miss anything important?’

Midrax turns to swing his axe at the man only to be flung back to the other side of the tent by a ray of light, knocking him unconscious. Max steps back, aiming her knife at the mysterious figure.

‘I’m not here to fight you. I am here to help,’ the old man gestures towards Dad.

I block his path, resting my hand on my sword. ‘What are you going to do?’

‘Stop the spread. Young man, if you want him to live, I need to do my work.’

Why help us? We are at war with his people. This figure just walked in and offered his help, walking past everyone. How is that even possible?

‘So you can save him?’ He gives subtle nod.

I step out of the way, gesturing Max to do the same. As the Cinari gets closer to Dad, Max stands back, aiming her knife at him as to leap at him in case he makes one wrong move.

The old man places his hand on Dad’s chest as a ray of blue light surrounds my father, drowning the room in its bright glow.

I shield myself from its ominous, bright glow. But the light even passes through the flesh of my hand, revealing my bone and ligaments inside.

‘That will stop the Elconic Spread.’ The old man removes his hand from Dad’s chest as the bright light disappears. ‘Now you will wait.’

‘What! You did nothing to help him!’ Max shouts at him.

‘I did everything I can. Now if you excuse me, I will be waiting outside.’ The man leaves the tent.

I go over to Dad, placing my ear near his face. Thank goodness he is breathing.

I peal open one of the bandages to see his wounds. The electric burns seemed to have stopped spreading. How is that possible?

I head to the tent entrance while Max moves to Dad’s body to hug him, whispering something into his ear.

Midrax moans as he struggles to get off the ground.

‘What the fuck happened?’ He says as he rubs the back of his head.

I open the tent door to see every Dog surrounding the mysterious Cinari as he sits on a tree stump with his staff, overlooking the forest.

I walk over to him, confused as to why he is here. Why would he help us? What is there to gain?

‘What are you?’ I ask.

He smiles. ‘Some just call me Shaman.’

‘Why did you come here? We are at war with your people, yet you came here and helped our chief. You could easily have killed us, but you didn’t. Why? Why would you help us?’

He taps his staff on the stump. ‘Because you are Cinari.’

‘How does that work? We are both two very different species.’

‘That’s when you’re wrong, my friend. Cinari doesn’t refer to a species, it refers to a people. A people who live on this island, an island I promised to protect. Even if you are a Dog who is enslaved by their Elven occupants, I will always consider you a Cinari. How you feel about it is up to you,’ he replies.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

‘Then why would they enslave their own people? Why didn’t you help us when we were sent to the mines?’

The Shaman hops up from his stump. ‘I protect the island, I don’t deal with the people on the island. My involvement would cause more harm than good, even if what I did were morally right. If I attach myself to a nation or an ideology, the entire world would come after me and the people I align myself with.’

‘So why help us now?’ I question him, confused.

Even with that power. If what he said is true, he is involved. How involved with the war, I don’t know. He helped my father. He is on our side as much as he is on theirs.

‘Because your people are in the right. You are fighting for your freedom, as all Cinari should. However, both sides have too much in common. You both follow a crown. With the elves it’s their Empress. With you, it’s the dying man in the tent. The elves used you as slaves, and now you use them, repeating the same mistakes, and I fear it will only get worse from here.’

‘So you help us, just to say that we are the same as the people who enslaved us?’

The Shaman smirks. ‘No, I came to claim my neutrality. And, I have terms you must follow. I don’t mind slavery, even if it is evil to the core. If you dare to plan to genocide the elves of this island, well, let’s just say I will gladly take part in the war as your enemy. Your war is just. How far you go with it will determine if it is a moral one. Do I make myself clear?’

I nod at him. He continues to smirk while lightly tapping the stump.

‘Lovely! When or if he wakes up, I will give him the same talk. But when he does, make sure you give him a proper title. He isn’t a chief of your people. He is a king. A person like him keeping everyone together deserves a title of recognition,’ he says as he disappears into the forest.

A Dog comes up to me, asking if we should track him down, but I shake my head. We can’t make another enemy. Not when he helped us, even if he came to threaten our people.

Yet, he is correct. We are repeating the mistakes of our enslavers. The Cinari. Even if we are a part of the same group of people, we were never treated the same. I want to change that, so we can be the better man in this war.

But to do that, we must fight for our freedom. Not to become superior as the Cinari, but their equal. I just hope Dad has the same feelings as I do on the topic.

For two days, without the help of Max or Midrax, I scout around Bunker Hill, searching for any advantageous position in case the Cinari do eventually arrive.

An open field surrounded by forest, perfect to hide our troops. Its ground is soft and light, brilliant to set up traps to hide underneath the dense grass.

My scouts report to me a large army being formed outside the Crystal Kingdom, the largest army we have ever faced. There is no chance we can beat that near the town of Mindas. Bunker Hill will either be our triumph or defeat. Only time will tell when they get here.

Max and Midrax have different ideas. Max wants to conduct small scale skirmishes, slowing down and picking off the Cinari forces. Midrax, the stubborn brute, believes in taking them head on before they can muster a force or use their sky demons, he imagines a quick victory.

While Max’s plan can help soften up the Cinari before they get to Bunker Hill, she might accidentally make the Cinari divert their course from Bunker Hill to a different front.

Midrax’s plan would fail if he didn’t have any support with him. The Cinari and their flying sky demons would wipe us out if we don’t find anything to counter them.

Every time we bicker or argue, the Shaman’s words keep running through my mind. Dad is the only person keeping us together. Without him, we wouldn’t be here. What will we be without him? Could I be like him? A young pup in the mine, adopted by the most respected chief to be his son?

Even that I am not related to him, could I be his successor? Or just a product of his kindness?

Maybe I could, maybe I can be like him. A leader for our people, to give us a future.

Syndy’s forge, and her team arrived yesterday. They’ve already started to work on fixing our armour and blades, and making new equipment for the battle that is to come.

Perhaps I should give her a visit. She already knows about the fate of Dust. But… well, I just hope she is holding up well.

I head to her tent, carrying Dad’s broken armour. The furnace illuminates the tent, its black smoke escaping through the hole at the centre. Three large objects, covered in ragged cloth, sit at the far side of the tent.

Syndy smiles. ‘Hello Alex. Didn’t expect you to come here.’

‘Hey, I uh... Well, I have Marak’s armour that is in need of some repairs.’ I pass her the armour. She thoroughly examines the shattered chest plate and helmet.

‘Can’t fix it with what we have here. You might as well get a fresh set of armour.’

‘Um sure, do you have any lying around?’

Syndy smirks. ‘Alex, you of all people should know the quartermaster has all of that. I just make junk for you boys to play with.’

I rub the back of my neck in embarrassment. ‘Oh yeah, I forgot about that.’

‘I bet you did,’ she chuckles. ‘So, before you were free. What were you doing as your time as a slave?’

‘Me? I was just a miner. What about you? What did you do as a slave?’

‘Believe it or not, I was a maid for a very rich man. My people didn’t work in the mine. We were on the surface working on the farms or fancy mansions. But on my free time, I sometimes work with the blacksmith to get some odd jobs done.’

‘On the surface? Maid? For some reason, I don’t believe you,’ I laugh.

‘That’s because we are very special, so we had the luxury of not living underground.’

‘Fair enough. So what is a maid?’ I ask.

‘It’s… It’s a job that I do to clean homes. Nothing too special.’ She said it as if there is something more to being a maid.

I can guess what she did there, but I think it’s best that we leave that topic for another day.

I head over to the objects with cloth over them to change the subject.

‘So, what’s this? Some sort of forging equipment?’

‘No, something better.’ She removes the cloth, revealing a strange device. A bow on its side placed on a tripod with three different strings and a wheel at the very end of it.

‘I saw old drawings of them at one of the Cinari war museum in Ol Shire. They called it a “ballista” or something.’

‘How does it work?’

She walks over to her desk, pulling out a small miniature of the ballista no bigger than her palm and a toothpick.

‘The idea is you put what they call a bolt into the loading mechanism and crank it up.’ She inserts the toothpick into the ballista while rotating the wheel, pulling the bow and string back as far as it will go.

‘Take aim, and release.’

She flips a leaver, launching the toothpick to puncture the wooden beam.

‘Ta dah! If a toothpick can get stuck in a wooden beam, just imagine what the big ones will do.’

‘You’re a genius!’ In my excitement, I lift her off her feet, embracing her for her brilliance. ‘An absolute genius!’

‘What are you doing? Put me down!’

‘You gave us a chance to win. We can bring those things down.’

‘That’s lovely,’ she struggles in my grasp. ‘But can you kindly put me down?’

Realising I have rudely invaded her privacy, I put her down gently. ‘Sorry, I got carried away.’

‘So mind explaining what’s so important about the ballista that got you carried away, Alex?’

‘You know the stories about the Cinari flying rock things?’

Syndy nods, crossing her arms as she pays attention to me.

‘We couldn’t take them down with arrows. With this, we can bring those things down. You’ve given us a chance to win!’ I cheer in glee.

She shakes her head. ‘Didn’t people also say that arrows would fall from the sky if it gets near the floating rocks?’

My excitement fades, thinking back at the battle, looking at the ballista. She’s right, they all fell from the sky. But how did my arrow hit the sky demon? How is it be possible that every arrow fell, but mine didn’t? It couldn’t be chance, there has to be some force behind it.

‘It’s the crystals! The special arrows Dust gave me.’

One of her ears flops to one side. ‘The crystal arrows? I don’t understand what you are saying.’

‘My arrow didn’t fall from the sky. It hit the floating rock. Hit its very body. Do these ballistas have any bolts with crystal heads?’

‘What? No, that would be a waste.’

‘How long does it take to make them? We need those bolts.’

She rubs her neck. ‘We have little of that stuff here. Maybe I can make at least sixteen of them by-’

‘Perfect.’ I lean down to kiss her forehead. ‘Get working on it. I don’t know why, but for some reason they work.’

‘Um… okay, I’ll see what I can do,’ she stutters.

Thank goodness she’s on our side. With her invention we won’t just knock the sky demons out of the sky, we could change how we fight every battle. This is more than a game changer. This is our key to freedom.

‘Thank you so much. You don’t know how much this means to me.’

‘Yeah, I get it. I would have thought being Marak’s son would make you less expressive,’ she smirks.

I chuckle. ‘Can’t a man have his moments?’

She rolls her eyes. ‘Only if you let me get back to work.’

‘Oh. Yeah, sorry. I’ll just leave you to it. See you next time, perhaps?’

‘Sure. When I’m not working, Alex. Pay me a visit sometimes. Okay?’ She smiles back at me.

‘I will.’

I leave the tent with a wide grin holding my laughter. As butterflies fill my stomach, and as my heart pounds with excitement.

I fist pump the air. I think I just got myself a date.

I enter Dad’s tent, to find him still lying there, silent and stiff, his body covered in mucky bandages. I sigh as I pull a stool next to his bed with a fresh roll of bandages resting on my lap.

I take his left hand, noticing patches of white fur poking through the fabric.

As I unravel the dirty rags from his body, white fur from underneath the bandages sprouts out.

The burns must’ve bleached his black fur. His skin feels smooth, like baby skin smooth, as I rub my hand across his arm to check for any wounds. His body is completely healed! How can that be possible?

I rest my head on his chest. One breath, two breaths. Phew, he is alive. But how long will he stay in this state? How can he have healed this quickly?

‘I told you before, you brute! We will not be attacking them head on!’ Max shouts outside the tent. I head outside to see Midrax and Max facing each other with their weapons drawn.

‘The Cinari are mustering an army right next to us. We have only lost one battle and if we attack now, we could win this war!’ Midrax shouts, waving his axes around to show his strength.

I won’t let them kill each other now, not when we have to work together to win this.

‘What’s the meaning of this?’

‘Oh, it’s the runt! How about you get lost, you raka!’ Midrax growls at me.

‘He has a point Alex, you don’t belong here. Get lost!’ Max chimes in.

I storm towards the two to stand between them.

‘If you plan to kill each other over who should lead, just shows what type of people you are.’ I point to Midrax. ‘We can’t attack the Cinari. Even if your plan works, you forgot to consider that they have a flying demon that can shoot lightning at us. Unless you have a way to take them down, you would be sending all of us to our graves!’

I turn to Max as she acts all smug towards Midrax. ‘As for you, your plan could lead them to take alternative paths. If they set foot near Mindas, our entire rebellion will fall apart, as it would render our supply lines useless!’

Her smug look turns to a frown while Midrax growls in frustration.

‘Like it or not, we have to fight them here. If we have to choose a battlefield, it will be Bunker Hill!’

Midrax scoffs. ‘Even if we all agree to fight, someone has to be a leader.’

‘Until then, make a plan. Marak is still alive. Until he dies, we are still under his command. For now, we would have to work together. Whoever has the best plan out of us three will lead the battle. We all have different ideas on how to take them on, but if we agree on the best strategy, we’ll follow that person.’

Midrax nods. ‘Fine, I’ll get to work.’ He puts his axes away as he storms off to his tent.

‘You might have convinced him, Alex. But don’t think I will take orders from you or that fool. I will lead this rebellion one day, just you wait,’ Max spits between my feet before walking away.

As I look around, Dogs from different mines stare at me. From the black manes, white manes and the flat faces all look towards me, some with contempt, others with no hope.

This is our leadership without one man. In chaos, always bickering and arguing. Can we truly be united as a people?