The prince tossed and turned inside his tent, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. Somewhere in the depths of his mind, he sat on the chest of a man, relentlessly pounding his fists into the figure's face until it was nothing but a bloody pulp. He paused for a brief moment, only to spot yet another figure. Without hesitation, he leaped onto the next man, repeating the brutal process. After what felt like an endless cycle of fists to faces, he gained a fleeting moment of reprieve. In that brief silence, he noticed his knuckles—no longer covered in skin, only bone remained.

“Wake the fock up! This is the last time I’m telling ya!” shouted a dwarf, shaking Elron awake.

Elron's eyes snapped open, bulging with fury, and without thinking, he kicked his commanding officer out of the tent, sending him flying onto his back with a thud. The young elf didn’t miss a beat. He leaped out of the tent, half-naked, sword in hand, adrenaline surging through his veins.

“Ye don’t wanna do that,” the dwarf grumbled as he pulled his battle axe from his back.

Elron cracked his neck, eyes gleaming with a dangerous edge. “It’s been over a month since I’ve had a chance to kill something. Maybe I do,” he growled, drawing his blade.

A crowd of nearly a hundred soldiers gathered around, whispering amongst themselves, placing bets in secret. Tension hung in the air, thick and volatile.

“Stand down, you twig, or I’ll whoop your ass and court-martial you,” the dwarf shouted, pointing his axe at Elron.

Elron’s patience snapped. “Go for it, you stump of a man.”

Before the words left his lips, the dwarf charged, swinging wildly. He spun and hacked at Elron with reckless overhead strikes, but the elf was too fast, moving like a shadow, practically running circles around his opponent.

Once Elron found the rhythm of the fight, he decided to add a little extra. With a flick of his hand, he casted curse after curse on the dwarf. The result was immediate—the dwarf buckled, crying out in pain.

“What... what is this?!” the dwarf winced, using his axe to prop himself up.

Elron had poured a significant amount of mana into each of his curses, but the payoff was minimal. Still, it was satisfying to see the effect it had on his opponent, even if it didn’t scale well.

The dwarf swung again, slower this time, and Elron deflected the blow effortlessly. With a swift move, he pinned the dwarf’s axe into the mud and delivered a powerful sidekick that sent the dwarf tumbling into the crowd.

Unseen by the others, Elron had infused wind magic into his blade. The air around him crackled with energy as he trudged toward the fallen officer, his intent clear. The crowd parted, sensing the shift in his demeanor.

He stood over the dwarf, his blade gleaming as it hovered near the officer’s cheek, leaving a sharp gash. “You will tell whoever needs to hear it that you resign and want to go home,” Elron spat.

The dwarf tried to screen the mud from his beard and growled, “They won’t allow that, you fool!”

Elron nicked him again, deeper this time. “Then flee. Go rogue. I don’t care. I’m done with you.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Terrified, the dwarf scrambled to his feet and fled, scrambling into the distance.

Elron sheathed his sword, glancing up at the crowd. Many of the faces staring back were elves, their expressions a mix of shock, fear, and uncertainty. Some were pleased, others were stoic, but most were terrified. What had started as a simple brawl with some casual betting had gone too far, but Elron couldn’t read the scene properly.

Without another word, he turned and began walking back toward his tent. Before he could get far, a human officer strode through the dispersing crowd to meet him.

“That was malicious and highly reprimandable,” the man said, falling into step beside Elron.

Barely paying him any attention, Elron muttered, “Write me up. Do whatever. I don’t care.”

The officer smirked, watching as Elron crawled back into his tent. “I’m making you the new squad leader,” he announced.

Elron stopped, halfway through removing his boots. “What? What about the dwarf?”

The officer gestured out into the field. “He’s way over there, leaving. That means I need a new squad leader—and you’re it.”

“I refuse,” Elron said flatly.

The officer grinned. “You can sleep in as long as you want, and do as you please.”

Elron narrowed his eyes. “What’s the catch?”

“Oh, nothing much. I just need you to train your squad. If even a tenth of our spearhead becomes half as good as you, I might get that raise yet,” the officer said with a sly grin.

Elron considered the offer for a moment. “Fine, move the soldier known as Maris to my squad, and it’s a deal.”

“Done,” the officer agreed, shaking his hand with a victorious smirk.

The next morning, Elron sat at a camp fire cooking his breakfast at midday. He pushed some rabbit around on a hot pan in his comfy clothes. He looked around as he cooked, and all he could see were the endless rolling hills.

He murmured to himself, “How much longer are we going to push?”

“Sir Squardleader. What is our directive today?” said a random elf who approached the fire.

Nearly forgetting his role, Elron said, “Um, training.”

“What will you be training us to do?” he asked.

Elron finally looked up at him and relized it was not just one but ten elves all dressed in their leather amor, with spears and shields in hand. They were ready for battle.

The prince blinked a few times, slapped the puldron of Maris and said, “This fine maiden here will be conducting your training today.”

Maris did a double take and said, “I am? Oh, I am.”

The elves smiled and oozzed great determination as they stared at Maris who was dawned in full plate armor. She then asked, “How do you wish for me to train them?”

“How ever you see fit,” replied Elron as he pulled his rabbit off the fire.

Maris became giddy and said, “Okay! I’ll start them off with a one hour secssion of prayer.”

One of the soldiers spoke up. “Um, I’m not relgious.”

“You are now,” said Elron as he shoved a rabbit leg in his mouth.

As the group peeled off, Elron continued eating, his gaze fixed on the nearest hill. A nagging feeling gnawed at him, something that didn’t sit right. He needed to investigate. With a borrowed bow and quiver from one of his elves, he headed up the incline, his eyes scanning the horizon. As much as he had hoped for more rabbit, he was after something more critical—information.

Elron couldn’t shake the oddity of it all. They had been marching for a while now without encountering even a scouting party from the enemy. The silence was unnerving. On top of that, the hills were disorienting, an endless maze of slopes and valleys. If it weren’t for the small detachment of mages that could fly up and survey the area, they would have been lost.

The hills themselves presented a tactical nightmare too. Many were so narrow that the army was forced to camp at their bases, squeezing them between multiple hills. It felt like a disaster waiting to happen. Elron's instincts screamed that something was off.

And then he heard it—the alarms ringing out from the camp below. His heart sank.