Reborn: War's Nightmare (5 page)

“We didn’t think they would dare to attack out camp given our numbers,” one of the commanders said with a down heartened look on his face.

“We just finish a long forced march. Our troops are tired while theirs have been resting peacefully. Now is the best time for them to risk a night raid otherwise they will have to face us full on at a time of our choosing.” Fay glared at them and stomped her small foot. “Don’t just stand there moaning about your own stupidity, get out there and take command of your troops.”

“Yes sir,” the commanders said with a stiff salute before running out of the tent.

“Follow me my lord,” Fay said turning to Ash and waving her hand. “You should see what happens when you underestimate your enemy.”

12-7

Ash followed closely behind Fay as they left the confines of the tent. The sky was dark and lined with clouds only allowing the moon brief moments to shine through. Each time the area brightened Ash noticed the faces of the demons rushing around him. Some of them looked calm and moved through the crowd as if they were just passing through a crowded street, while others were obviously panicked and seemed to trip over their own feet.

It wasn’t long before the screams of the dying grew louder. Ash knew that they were drawing close to the border of the camp. When he rode in at dawn, there was only a small ditch dug along with a few barriers to impede the enemies’ advance should they attack. Ash hadn’t given it much thought at the time because it hadn’t been long since the main army had arrived. However, even now it didn’t look like much work had been done while he had been in the command tent.

When he first arrived, Ash’s men had spent days doing nothing but fortifying their position. They had limited troops and even he knew that a night attack could greatly diminish their fighting force, but it seemed that the commanders of the main army had grown lax with the overwhelming numerical advantage.

“Tsk,” Fay clicked her tongue. “This is what happens when you field and army with no real experience.”

“I thought that the demon army trained non-stop?” Ash asked slightly confused. He was sure that the sage had said that even in their current peaceful times, the demon army had never let their blades grow dull. He couldn’t understand the meaning behind the general’s words.

“Of course they fight, but not against humans and rarely against other demons unless it is a mock battle. Those don’t have any real sense of danger so the pressure on the commanders and troops are light. The worst part is that demons enjoy the fight so something like a night raid would be rare even during mock battles because it wouldn’t allow them to fully enjoy the battle. It is because of this that these boys have grown too lax and have forgotten to think like their enemies.”

Before Ash could think of a reply, a tall man rushed toward him with his sword ready to strike. Taken by surprise, Ash took a hasty step back while trying to release his sword from its scabbard. With such an unexpected attack within his own lines, Ash had been unprepared and couldn’t even think of what skills or abilities might be of use and suddenly only hoped that the strike didn’t hit any of his vitals. Just as the sword was about to hit his chest, a dagger flashed like a silver beam of light, knocking the enemies blade away. Less than a second later another flash of silver was quickly followed by a stream of red flowing from the soldier’s neck as he fell to his knees. He grasping his wound desperately trying to keep the blood from freely pouring onto the hard ground.

“Keep your eyes open,” Fay said in the same scolding tone that she had used on the commander’s earlier, making Ash lower his head like a scolded child. “We might still be well behind our lines, but there is no telling when a lucky enemy might break through. That is especially true for you. You are not only our leader but also our Maoh. If you were to die, it would throw everyone into trouble due to the spirit link. There is a very real chance that the enemy might employ assassins. If you want to be foolish and die, do it somewhere away from me. This old lady can’t have you dying under my eyes.”

“Yes ma’am,” Ash said apolitically. Pulling his sword from its scabbard so it was at the ready, Ash tried to use his sense ability, but there were so many people around that it started to make his head hurt, forcing him to deactivate it. Sighing to himself, Ash wished he had brought a few of his wives with him, but they all seemed busy and he was just going from one camp to the other and he thought it was a better use of their talent to have them keep an eye on the so called allies. No matter how well-mannered they seemed, Ash just couldn’t bring himself to fully trust an army that belonged to an unfamiliar party. There was always the chance they could turn on them at the most crucial moment. Ash made a silent vow to never leave the girls behind again. It wasn’t that they really made him stronger, but Ash had to admit that their presence made him feel more secure.

Within moments Ash got his first real view of the harsh battle at the front lines. The number of attackers were not large, but from what he could see, they were strong far stronger than Ash would have thought. Not only were they strong, even with their small number, but the demons had been taken by surprise and Ash could already see that the ground was covered in the blood of the unlucky few who had been the first casualties from the unexpected night attack.

Ash’s blood began to boil with each passing second but before he took a step, he noticed that Fay was calmly standing beside him watching it all with a passive attitude. As if hearing Ash’s unasked question, Fay looked at Ash and gave a warm smile. “We are the leaders of the army. If we casually join in the battle without understanding the full implications of the battle, then we will do more harm than good.”

As Fay was explaining, one of the enemy soldiers broke through the lines and ran straight toward them. Ash held his sword tightly and just before he made his move, Fay lazily flicked her wrist and a long needle suddenly appeared between the man’s eyes a second before he crashed into the ground like a puppet that had its strings cut. “The current battle is not that important. If we join it and get put into a bad position, there are no gains…Only losses. Right now, while we may lose a few troops, there is no way that the enemy can breach far enough into our lines to do any real damage. I would expect that their main goal was our leaders. However, no matter how hard they try, it is nearly impossible to sneak into a demon army camp due to some of the unique abilities that our soldiers’ control. While I know that you are skilled in battle, your true worth is behind the lines at this time.”

“I thought the demon Maoh was supposed to fight on the front line,” Ash said, his mouth still hanging open as he tried to come to grips with everything that was currently happening.

“Yes, the Maoh is meant to fight at the forefront of the battle. A Maoh is a leader before anything else, but there is no meaning to the Maoh fighting on the front lines in every battle. It only works in battles where the soldiers can gain strength from your presence and right now that wouldn’t happen. In fact, it would be the opposite. It would dishearten the soldiers because they would view it as their mistake that put you in danger. So the best thing that you can do at the moment is watch them and aid them where you can while keeping yourself safe.”

“Yes ma’am,” Ash said nodding his head like a schoolboy.

Keeping his sword in hand, Ash watched the battle. Thanks to his dragon eyes, Ash could easily see what was going on despite the dark night. Each time that one of the demons took a strike, Ash found himself gritting his teeth and his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. With each death he felt as if his chest was slowly being ripped open. As the second turned into minutes, the sounds died down, but it did not alleviate the pain. Even though there were less enemies and more defenders with each passing moment, it was hell for Ash to just watch like a bystander. When the signal for retreat sounded and the humans fled back toward the city fort in the distance, Ash felt as if all his strength had been drained from his body.

Looking at Ash with a calm yet sympathetic smile, Fay tried to pat him on the shoulder but given her stature she could only reach his shoulder blade. “You did well young Lord. Why don’t we head to my tent for a nice cup of tea?”

Ash had expected Fay’s tent to be the largest since she was the general of the entire demon army, as well as the teacher to many of the other commanders, but that was not the case. Fay’s tent was larger than most of the normal soldiers, but not by much. Inside there was only one small table and three chairs that would have looked more in place on a nobles veranda. Shortly after they entered the tent, Fay filled a small tea kettle with water and ran her thumb across her fingers as if she were counting. Small green flames sprung on her fingers. Fay pressed her hand against the side of the tea kettle and within seconds steam started to boil out of the top quickly followed by a low whistle.

Fay placed two short ceramic cups on the table along with a thick ceramic bowl. She placed a small pinch of green herbs in the bowl and then followed it with hot water from the pot. A few seconds later Fay flicked her wrist and a small bamboo whisk seemed to appear in her hand. The whisk seemed to disappear into the bowl. As it moved around, it made a gentle buzzing noise. When Fay’s wrist stopped moving, she placed the whisk on a richly decorated napkin, then she poured the light frothy green liquid into the two cups.

Ash couldn’t help but be amazed at how Fay moved. Each movement was precise and gentle giving off an air of perfection.  Following Fay’s lead, Ash picked up his cup and took a small sip. The tea was slightly bitter, oddly calming.

After drinking half the cup of tea, Ash sat it down and looked at Fay who was smiling warmly as she watched him. “How do you think the battle will go?” Ash asked.

“That is not a discussion for when one is drinking tea,” Fay said with a slight frown. “When one is drinking tea, conversation should be light and of a relaxing nature.”

“I am sorry,” Ash said in a slightly dejected tone.

“There is no reason to apologize,” Fay said her warm smile instantly returning. “What do you think of the tea?”

“It is bitter,” Ash replied honestly. “Though it does have a nice scent and seems to warm my soul.”

“This is a special blend of green tea that come from one of the smaller demon clans that occupy the western region of the demon kingdom. It is hard to get and while some do not find it as tasty as some more common and well known teas, but I think it is prefect for calming one’s soul. What do you think of the cups? They were specifically made for this tea and it is believed that the older the cups become and the more they are used, the better the tea will taste.”

Ash looked down at the cup in his hand. At first look it was just a simple ceramic cup but the longer he looked at it the more enchanting it seemed. The base of the cup was white as snow but it slowly faded. First it started off as a light green then darkened to the same shade of the tea that rested in the cup and at the very top it turned darker and looked like a dusky brown. The main thing that drew Ash’s notice was that the colors didn’t change in a uniform fashion but were like flames that shifted from one point to another.

“It is very beautiful,” Ash replied honestly after a brief moment of silence.

“I am glad that you think so,” Fay said happily. “As I said, for now on you will be my student. Otherwise I will be unable to sleep for fear of the future. The first thing I will teach you is the art of making tea.” Ash’s eyes widened in surprise but Fay’s warm smile stopped any words of dissent from spilling from his mouth. “To be a good leader one must first learn how to silence the noise in one’s soul, otherwise the noise from the constant turmoil will drive you into madness. More than one soldier has been driven down a dark path from the cries of those long dead.” Fay’s words didn’t seem as if she were speaking as only an observer as her face took on a slightly sad overtone but she recovered quickly.

“As you wish,” Ash said nodding his head.

“For now it is too late to send you back to your own camp,” Fay said with a slightly pouting look on her face. “With the daringness of the enemy, no one could say what could happen on the short ride. Tonight I will have one of the soldiers prepare a tent for your use. Until it is ready, why don’t you try and prepare some tea?”

For more than an hour Ash was made to make tea, but not once was what he did acceptable. When Fay had made the tea it had looked so artful yet simple, but Ash had quickly found that it was much harder than it had looked. His stirring speed was either too fast or too slow. He was either stirring it too hard or too soft. It was not only the speed, but Fay often complained that he had the wrong state of mind when he was mixing the tea. “If you mind is not calm and still when you are mixing the tea, then the tea will not calm the soul. Instead it will anger it,” Fay had said over and over as she loomed over him like some vicious taskmaster. Now that he was lying in his bed looking at the bland tent above him, Ash was thankfully that it had already been so late otherwise Fay might have kept him there until the end of time. Though he was tired, it was the first time Ash slept in peace in a long time.         

      
12-8

Two days quickly passed and Ash found himself sitting atop a large black winged horse. Though the horse had wings and could fly, it was not like the flying horses in the myths from his world as it could only fly a few feet above the ground. Even then, it could not do so for a prolonged amount of time. The true value of the winged horse was that it could travel across any terrane very quickly. It also has a very thick hide that can take most normal attacks.

“Nervous?” Fay asked with a sly smile. Just like Ash, Fay stood at the front of the army waiting for the beginning of the battle. Ash had a slight feeling of relief for not being alone. His guards/wives gave him some comfort, but Fay made him feel more secure in his decisions. She looked young, but each time she spoke Ash could feel the years of experience in her words. It both encouraged him and at the same time reminded Ash how much farther he had to go to be a true leader.

“It would be a lie to say that I didn’t feel some misgivings,” Ash replied as he gripped the sword in his hand, reassured by its presence as he looked at the town ahead and the men standing on top of the battlements and roofs of the buildings near the wall.

“Lord, I think we should start or the soldiers are going to start getting sunstroke waiting,” Fay said in a joking tone.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Ash nodded his head then raised his right arm his sword pointing high into the sky. “Eagle knights go!” Ash’s words echoed through the air as if they were shouted from the top of a mountain.

At Ash’s command the air was filled with the sound of the wing beats of large birds as the massive eagles passed over the head of the demon army.

Though he was near a mile away from the human city, he could hear the faint sound of yelling coming from the distance. Though there were only a little over a hundred eagles, they seemed to block out the sky since Ash’s eyes were glued onto them as sweat rolled down his forehead.

The archers were the first to attack the flying enemy but their arrows fell short. Only the few who had overbearing abilities seemed to have any luck getting close to their targets, but even those attacks seemed insignificant as not one eagle fell from the sky. The next wave of attacks came from the cities mages once the eagles were directly over the city. Ash watched, his stomach clutching as more than half a dozen birds dropped from the sky.

The eagle knights did not just idly accept the attacks of their enemies. Almost like one massive machine, the eagles flipped over and the riders launched their most destructive abilities and soon the air above the city was filled with flames and dust as buildings collapsed.

After three passes, the eagle knights had lost more than a quarter of their numbers and started to return having expended the majority of their strength. As soon as the eagles had retreated to half the distance between the city and the demon army, Ash raised his left hand and one of the mages behind him raised his staff and loosed a purple fireball into the air. “First wave charge!” Ash roared. Following his words, the soldiers around him rushed forward causing the ground to shudder.

“Don’t be hasty boyo,” Fay said in a harsh tone, the playfulness of earlier gone from her voice.

Ash calmed his breathing and tried to refrain from his impulse to charge with the others. “Does it not bother you?”

“Not really,” Fay said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I may be a demon, but I do not enjoy bloodshed that much,” Fay’s words were spoken slowly and one could almost feel the sadness held within them. “Would you like to hear an old story?” she said her eyes becoming slightly unfocused. Ash nodded his head but it seemed as if Fay couldn’t even see him at the moment.

“I was born among the demon lands but when I was only six, my father took me outside to train. During the trip we were attacked and my father perished,” Fay’s words rang out in Ash’s mind even as he watched his troops run toward the city. “I was captured. The humans tried to turn me into a slave, but thanks to the bond that I already had to the demon lord it wouldn’t take. I was still forced to enter their army. At the time a war was taking place between two large kingdoms. I call it a war, but it was nothing more than a show for those of nobility and served no real purpose other than mass death.”

Ash listened to Fay’s story as he watched arrows and magic rain down on his troops killing untold numbers. At the same time the soldiers at the core of the charge started their assault. Having come from a unique tribe that had a close affinity with earth, they attacked the walls causing large holes and in some places even causing them to collapse completely. Seeing this, Ash raised his left hand again and a yellow ball of flame was shot into the sky. “Second wave charge!”

“For three years I killed to live. Every day was filled with blood. At that time in my life, there were times I didn’t even have the energy to wash the stains from my clothes. When I was ten, a demon soldier found me and returned me home. I was skilled at war so I trained in war, but that does not mean that I enjoy it. I fight now not to soak in blood, but prevent as much bloodshed as I can,” as Fay finished her words she looked toward Ash with a firm smile. “I hope one day you too will understand my feelings.”

The second wave rushed toward the town, their speed much faster than that of the first wave, but their feet did not leave the same awe inspiring feeling. It was as if they were running on air as only the sound of their armor could be heard as the moved.

“Time to go,” Fay said as she pulled a long spear that had been stuck in the ground beside her. Ash nodded his head and once again raised his left arm. A black burst of fire shot into the air. “All hands charge!”

“Pace yourself,” Fay yelled when Ash started to pull away from the rest of the army. Ash immediately pulled up on the reigns to slow his speed and allow the rest of the army to catch up with him.

To cross the field only takes about 5 to 6 minutes on foot and on horseback it could be done in less than 2. Ash it felt as if time was moving at a snail’s pace. As he approached the down portion of the city walls, Ash could hear the sound of the soldiers beside and behind him along with the screams of the soldiers in front of him. Ash could feel his blood boiling as arrows started to rain down on them, but it wasn’t to the point where their army had to worry. The first wave had taken out a good portion of the defending wall while the second wave were made up of speed focused fighters who had wreaked havoc on the remaining defenders on the wall.

Though the soldiers had already broke through the wall, the defenders had responded quickly and the demon found their path blocked. As soon as he entered the city, Ash understood why the enemy had chosen this city to make their stand. Most the houses looked cheaply made but they were built close together leaving little room for horses and even less room for an army to fight.

Almost as soon as they entered into the city, hidden enemies appeared at every window and on top of most the building firing down on them. Ash didn’t think and responded out of reflex with his fire lance.

The building to Ash’s right burst into fire and high pitched screams filled the air as bodies soon started to jump from the now burning building. As one of the bodies fell in Ash’s direction, his sword flashed, cutting into the small body in an attempt to knock it aside. It was at this moment Ash’s eyes focused on the pale face of the small girl that was now impaled on his sword. Ash’s stomach churned and he could feel the bile rising in his throat. Just as his hand was about to release his sword, Fay moved up next to him and grabbed his arm, her eyes cold and emotionless. “Not in front of the others,” Fay said harshly.

Ash swallowed back the bile in his throat and lowered his sword allowing the small child slip off onto the ground below. As if in a dream, Ash pushed himself forward, his eyes scanning the battle happening all around him. When he had been planning the battle, he had envisioned a harsh and deadly battle against the enemy forces, but what he saw was not what he had expected. There was a large number of soldiers blocking their paths but mixed among them were people who had obviously never held a weapon before. Glancing around, he noticed that those attacking from the windows and rooftops were mostly children doing everything from throwing rocks to shooting arrows.

Ash didn’t know if the demon soldiers didn’t realize that they were children or if they didn’t care, but he watched as child after child died. Each time he saw one of those small forms face their death, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Ash wanted to do nothing more than to run from the battle, but the current situation didn’t allow that.

Ash tried to force his brain not to think as pushed forward. He tried to focus on the battle in front of him but with each passing second, his face lost more and more color. Seeing his face going white, his wives moved around him, shielding him from the views of the others while Fay held back and moved beside him.

“This is a real war,” Fay said, her voice seeming to sound both carrying and ridiculing at the same time. “If you can’t handle it then it would be best if you pulled back. Otherwise it will be our soldiers who suffer for your actions. Anyone who picks up a weapon is an enemy, no matter their age. Don’t be fooled, they can kill a man just as easily as another.”

Ash tried to speak but the words seemed to stick in his throat. Closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths, Ash calmed his mind then nodded his head. Seeing some color return to his face, Fay gave a nod of her head and the turned back leaving the circle of his guards.

“Are you sure you do not wish to return to camp?” Seia asked in a worried voice.

“It’s fine,” Ash said straightening his back. “It could be said that this war is my doing so I have to see it through to the end.”

“We should move into a more open space my lord,” Tolarea said in a commanding tone.

Looking around, Ash noticed that most of the fighting had died down, leaving behind only the bodies of the fallen and the sound of battle in the distance. “Tolarea, Mia at my sides, everyone else take your positions,” Ash said as he nudged his steed forward.

Ash’s group passed by seven houses before they exited the narrow passage and entered into a wider street. His eyes opening, Ash could barely believe what he saw. It looked as if the center of town was nothing more than a large open plane filled with soldiers. The information that Ash had received indicated that they should have a lot more soldiers than the enemy. However, the numbers that he saw him in front of him looked to be much more than he had anticipated.

Currently the bulk of the demon army was still moving through the forest of houses as the defending army carefully maneuvered around them. “It’s a trap,” Fay said from behind Ash.

Turning his head, Ash wondered when and how Fay had gotten behind him. It wasn’t long ago that she had ridden off and the houses only had one road. Ash didn’t have to give it much thought before Fay answered his unspoken question. “They are using illusions, be…” Fay’s words were cut off when she was suddenly surrounded by a large group of soldiers.

Ash turned his steed planning to rush to her aid but before he could move, Seia grabbed him by the arm and drug his from the saddle right before a ball of flame rushed past where he had just been.

“We need to move,” Mia said as the enemy soldiers rushed toward them. Nodding his head Ash quickly got to his feet.

Thankfully they had not moved far into the main district but no matter how hard he looked, Ash couldn’t see one road nor even a space big enough for a mouse to crawl through. It was as if the houses were built as part of each other.

“Must be an illusion,” Ash muttered to himself before activating “Destructive Dispel”. The first use of the ability didn’t earn him anything but the second time, the air in front of a large house began to waver before a small side road appeared where nothing but red bricks had been before. “This way,” Ash yelled as he rushed toward escape.

The soldiers had already caught up and Tolarea and Mia were holding them off. Once Ash and the others were safely out of the open, the other two began to move backward but with each passing second, more and more soldiers began to appear threating to overrun them. Ash pulled his bow from his shoulder and activated “Gambler’s Gambit” increasing all stats by 42. Ash then activated “Deadly Finish,” coupled with “Cluster Shot.” Since both Tolarea and Mia were too close to the front of the enemy line, Ash jumped into the air as high as he could using his wings to hold himself steady as he aimed for an area about fifteen feet back from the two before releasing the arrow and falling back to the ground. As soon as his feet touched the ground he yelled as loud as he could. “Run!”

With their strong belief in Ash, the two women let out one more fierce strike before running at full force in retreat. Ash could hear shouting behind him but it was quickly drowned out by a loud explosion. Ash didn’t run in a straight line and instead kept using “Destructive Dispel,” taking the first road that appeared. The sounds of soldiers’ footsteps could be heard behind him, but Ash didn’t stop to check. When he noticed a fairly well built house, Ash yanked on the door but when they wouldn’t open, he continued running. After the sixth door, one opened with ease and he ran inside without a second thought. His heart beating fast, Ash looked at each face as they followed him inside and let out a sigh of relief when he noticed that no one was missing as he closed the door when Mia entered.

Locking the door, Ash slipped to the ground gasping deeply for his breath. It was only then that he noticed blood dripping from his fingers as pain throbbed through his body. Turning his arm slightly, Ash noticed the fletching of a small bolt sticking in the back of his forearm. Laughing at himself, Ash gripped the bolt and tried to push it through only to notice that it had struck the bone. Between laughing and cursing, Ash let go of the shaft and looked to the others. “Everyone ok?”