Chapter 26 – Runes and Steeled Hearts

The sky seemed to split. The giant clouds that blocked the way vanished. They evaporate as they get near the overbearing heat coming from this furnace inscribed with glowing lines etched in runes. The runes gleamed like diamonds. A man in robes and surcoat looked at the furnace, clearly satisfied.

Looking farther one would see a giant ship consisting of hundred or even more ships lifted by air balloon while being navigated by four giant wings that allowed the ship to glide and turn using the aileron built on it. The ship looked like a normal sailing ship, but without sails. There were four giant prolate spheroid shape balloons that keep the ship afloat. The furnace in the middle was powering up this spinning device that helps the giant warship to fly.

The warship was made of ashen spruce wood. This wood was light and strong. It was a native tree only available to the Bali and the Cagan territory. Using this type of wood they made these giant warships that could fly. But these ships wouldn’t fly this well if it wasn’t for the runic engravings hastily made. Magic was a slowly vanishing art. It has many uses but the humans have started to forget about. The art was still relied on Bali and Cagan, and with a combination of a feather rune and float runes. Runes were words of power that contained magic on them. Like a language the runes have a different set of words in order to be used. Only a few know the runes powers, but there are stones from the past inscribed with runes.

Using these stones they manage to build something this absurd. Magic was indeed being lost, the era of sword and axes were also starting to past by. But it doesn’t mean that they vanish from the world. The Bali Kingdom had been always fascinated by these runes. The runes are their forte once but the Holy Midland, the home of the Knight Templar’s deemed the use of runes as sacrilege, a blasphemy to the Gods. Ritual Magic was deemed okay for it was only a call to one’s God. Hence, the Knight Templar’s declared war against the rune magic users over the Livia Continent. This crusade made the rune users afraid, many of them die and a hundred years of bloodshed and burning of books made this art slowly vanished.

The Templar’s were not unreasonable on the crusade they started. Indeed, they treat it as sacrilege and blasphemy but because of a reason. The reason was that once upon a time ago. A kingdom of gloom vanished after prospering with the use of runes. Runes are like chemical mixtures. They can do good but once mixed badly. One would result in a harmful effect or like what happened to that kingdom of gloom. They vanish as a result of an explosion of words of power.

The Knight Templar’s thought of rune magic as good once. But after seeing the destructive might that ended the lives of millions of people in a blink of an eye, how could they stand by and make the same mistake that destroyed a kingdom? So instead of relying on rune magic, the Templar’s turned to their God Luci Fera to bless them in battle instead.

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The Bali and the Cagan’s know the danger. But what need was there to worry about such danger when their lands are in danger? To cut the throat of the snake they turned to one of the secret societies that still study the runes. It was dangerous indeed but they thought of using the power of the runes to build the flying ships that they now fly.

Dangerous it was, but to proceed with such plan. They have to do this. They have to make use of the runs and capture Avilla City.

The soldiers think that they are the ones that are good. After all, what they are doing right now was simply stopping their enemies. Good men and women who boards ships think nothing of evil. They are not evil for they have the mind of chaos. They are simply soldiers ordered to kill and protect their homeland.

“I’ll die for the homeland,” said the soldier.

“I’ll protect them. That I’ll do and return to mom,” said another soldier.

“God, please let me return home to my child.” said a man in prayer.

Each of these ships contained men and women with worry in their hearts. Many of them will die. Many will suffer at the hands of a bullet or they won’t even reach the ground as they’ll get killed by rifles as they parachute down.

They may be of different race and origin. But the one thing that these people had along with Avilla City was their hearts. They have something to protect. It didn’t matter if it was evil or not. It didn’t matter if both sides think that they are. It was really simple: All of them are foolish men and women willing to fight for what they believed.

If it was evil to protect your homeland; then they are evil.

If it was evil to kill for your homeland; then they are evil.

If it was evil to defend your family; then they are evil.

These soldiers are willing to become evil. All they need to do was harden their heart. Steel their mind as they point their rifles. There are many things that they don’t know. There are many questions swirling on top of their head. Many of them want nothing more than to live in peace. But with the war going on how could they achieve that wish?

The time for talk was long over when the Holy Midland Templar’s stepped on their lands. The years of war made them think that unless the other nation kowtows to their feet. They won’t stop. They won’t bow their heads at their enemies.

So with steeled hearts and minds, the soldiers of the Bali and the Cagan winged battalion prepared themselves. Up above the clouds, the winged army flew to where Avilla City was while using the cover of the clouds. With the goal of taking a City that could allow them to penetrate the Holy Midland’s defenses and strike the heart of the Holy Midlands Capital itself