TW: Violence/Gore

Central Früstia Continent

Ruby Capital Castle

In Frost's Office...

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I have way too much on my plate. At first it was simple, take out Truder and stabilize the nation, but now there is a western force attacking both of us?! I should have accounted for that. My arrogance in our power brought the Ruby Empire to where it is today, and I am not willing to let it fall! But what I am willing to do, is to lose a few battles to win the war.

"Emperor! I brought the prisoner!" Hunter, my main guard, called in before bringing in my most valuable capture yet. Once he was in the room the guard lowered him to his knees, bruised all over. Some of my guards do not understand my idea of hospitality, well, that is paperwork for another time.

"At ease, Hunter, head outside until I give you a call back." I remarked back, just to get me alone with the person in front of me. Once he left, upon hearing the door close, I finally decided to speak to him. "So, you are probably wondering why I called you here today, Former King Shade."

All I got back was silence, he was either too paralyzed in fear or too unwilling to cooperate with me.

"I can understand your hatred, but I have realized that my empire has slightly overextended. That is why I called you here today."

I looked down in pity at this man in front of me, he probably feels horrible about his home, the one I destroyed. How much can I bet that he will just sit there-

"But...why?" Shade quietly spoke, although through much pain. 'I really need to re-train my guards.'

"What do you mean?"

"Why...why now? Why did you finally realize this after you destroyed my home?! WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE WITH NO PLACE LEFT?!" He shouted at me, tears coming out of his eyes as he looked at me with a face of anguish.

What do I say to that? There is no response, he is absolutely right. If I decided to wait to take over his home, this civil war would not have happened. He was literally the last chance I had at maintaining this empire at its' height! But what do I say to him, do I acknowledge his truth, admit that I am a horrible leader? No! What if someone is listening in? That would cause more chaos, I need to think of what I am going to say, where nobody is left at fault.

"That's it huh? You can't say anything after I told you the truth?!" Well, that remark pulled me out of my thoughts, although it was rather harsh. At least I finally have what I am going to say at the forefront of my mind now.

"Oh! Sorry about that, I was thinking of the best way to put this since much as happened since your capture. You see, it was by sheer circumstance that the proof of overextension came to me after I annexed your lands. I was thinking my garrisons were low in the lower Mantios Continent, and now that is proven to me. I should have waited to do anything else and stabilized Mantios first."

Shade just looked down silently, "So, no matter what I would have done, I was always going to be invaded? Even with what you had just acquired?!" he said, words laced with venom.

"No, that is not complete-" I tried to explain before being cut off again.

"You're a prick, scam, and an utter asshole."  Shade said, chuckling between statements, "And that is why you are going to explain to me everything before I kill you."

"Wait, what?" I said confused, before Shade stood up and dropped his shackles, completely unlocked. "How did you-?"

"It is simple once you save the smallest chicken bones from your meals, you should fix that." Shade said, before holding the bone in front of him like a needle. "Also, being able to fake some emotions helps, but I didn't need to this time I am already emotionally unstable!" 

What the hell?! I should probably start thinking of ways to remove the bones off the chicken. Possibly my industrial sectors could work on it...

"But before you start thinking of your 'New Ruby Industries' or whatever the fuck you narcissistically brand everything here as, just know, I can cut you once with this and you are dead in seven seconds. No healer can revive the dead, and your country has a visible absence of mages."

I just stood back in shock. He was right, we had less mana, which brings mages, having a lack of Amethyst or crystals of any kind. That is one of the reasons I wanted Mantios for my own, they have the world's largest Amethyst deposits. We would lose a global war if I did not move and I knew it, I was running on borrowed time as a regional powerhouse before mages would decide battles.

"So, now you better start talking, O' Great Emperor Frost of the Empire." Shade said in a condescending tone. I could not just call in Hunter because I would be dead before he mobilized.

I just took a large gulp, and for the first time in my life, I stood down and began to talk.

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East Central Continent

Northern Border, Demesne of Isaland

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"Finally, it looks like the reinforcements are arriving from Aizarando" a Northern Soldier said, looking back at his small squad the he led.

"Come on, Mikal! Don't leave us behind with your random wandering!" another one called out to him, a little farther behind.

"Sorry about that, Anna, I guess we should start heading back south to the border, huh?" Mikal said, a little embarrassed upon realizing his mistake.

"Exactly!" Anna jokingly huffed back, "We aren't doing reconnaissance for nothing!"

"Alright then, lead the way!" he replied, much to Anna's amusement.

"You want me to tell Lily and Isak that you had the most map-illiterate person on the team lead you back to them?"

Mikal then scratched the back of his head, "I guess your right, I should probably lead then. They are at our camp, right?"

Once he received a curt nod from Anna, he began the trek with her back to camp, which was only roughly a five to ten minute walk, or a two minute run.

"Mikal, wait." Anna said, quickly sniffing the air.

"What is it?"

"Smell the air, it doesn't seem right, but it is all too familiar..."

Mikal then took a large breath in, it felt very warm, yet grainy. But there was also a metallic smell. "Smoke and blood! We need to move, now!" he said, half-shouting the last part in a panic as he took out his small staff with a sapphire crystal on top. 

"You think this is a fight?" Anna said, quickly catching up, being the most agile of the team.

"Not is, Anna, was. I am channeling a healing aura to aid our squad when we arrive, you get ready to fight, they may be waiting." Mikal said as the blur crystal brightened, a green aura appearing on his hands. Anna nodded at this, and began to channel a small strength spell, engulfing herself in a small red aura as she pulled out a broadsword.

As they kept running, more and more smoke began to slowly fill the area, creating an ominous fog. They both slowed down, but only slightly, to keep sights on their surroundings to not get ambushed. 

"Mikal! I am starting to see the clear-NO!" Anna shouted as the clearing opened up to their view. Nobody was there, only charred buildings and scorch marks on the ground, filled the surrounding area. "They should be here! Where are they?!"

Mikal was about to respond before he noticed a tuft of read hair from behind a small hill in the clearing. "Lily!" he yelled out before running over there. Once he got over there, he knew his healing would not save her, but he would still try.

"H-hey, Mikal...how's it hanging?" Lily said faintly, with a raspy voice. She had had her left hand burned off and that side of her body was burned open, with some blood slightly dripping.

"D-Don't worry, Lily! I'll save you!" he said, sending the energy her way.

"Don't w-worry about me, I just lost my voice enchanting earlier...that's all."

"You can never get away with a lie to me, Lily, what happened, and where's Isak?"

"We were attacked, blue and white forces, like the report said, they didn't hesitate to kill us." Lily said, having a slight tear go down her cheek.

"W-Wait, you don't mean-"

"Isak is gone with the wind now, cremated alive by those bastards. But we- we'll get them next time, right leader?" she said, more faint this time, coughing at the end.

Mikal, could only look at her with some tears coming down as well, "That's right, we will, Lily, we will." He could not stop his tears at the end as they started to flow.

"Good, now I will go take a s-small nap before we g-get them, 'kay c-captain?" Lily whispered, starting to close her eyes.

"No Lily, we are going right now! We need you there..." Mikal faded off, before whispering, "I need you there..."

"It's okay, j-just f-five m-minutes...p-please?" Lily said, slurring more words, looking at Mikal. She then used all her strength to lightly kiss him before leaning back once more. "I-In five m-minutes..."

Mikal knew this was goodbye so he took all he could muster into his last words to her, "Okay, Lily, five minutes. I love you..." he said between small sobs.

"I-I love you...too..." Lily said closing her eyes, breathing one last time.

Mikal just sat there as Anna walked over, having finished her search of the area for enemies, seeing Lily.

"Lily! Lily! Are you okay?! Lily? Lily?!" Anna said as she kneeled down beside her, before trying to shake her awake. "Lily?! Come o-on now! This isn't funny! W-Wake up! PLEASE! Wake! Up!"

Before she could shake Lily more, Mikal grabbed Anna's arm, pulling her back into him.

"No! Let me wake up Lily!" She shouted at him, trying to go back to her friend.

"You can't..." Mikal tried to calm her down, which did not work.

"I can! You just didn't let me try!" Anna tried to get up again, only to be held firmer by him, in a deep hug.

"No! Anna, please, there's nothing we can do..." Mikal said, starting to cry once more into her shoulder.

"W-What do you mean?"

"S-She's dead, a-along wish Isak..." Mikal said, struggling not to sob between words.

"No...NO! They can't be! They are strong! Surely they-" Anna tried to deny herself before she saw Lily's face, more pale than when she had arrived minutes earlier. She then just broke down with Mikal into his arms, as he did hers, crying for hours until the sun began to set.

Mikal was the first to get up, pulling Anna to her feet with him. "W-We should give her an actual burial..."

Anna was taken aback for a second before agreeing as they used some of their mana to move the dirt to bury her in. As they left it, beginning their mournful trek back to the border, they  both sent some mana her way, to which two flowers bloomed, a tulip and an orchid, their favourite flowers, her favourites as well. Anna took one last look back as they neared the top of the final hill to the border, shedding a final tear.

"Anna...look." Mikal said, in a slightly for frightened tone than she expected, alarming her as she turned around, only to gasp. The entire border, and army, was burned to the ground. On top of it all, were several blue and white banners.

The enemy had invaded, and their defense didn't hold.

Mikal and Anna both looked at each other and nodded, agreeing on the one thing filling their minds. 

Isaland has already fallen, no matter if it was this week or month. The battle was over. They lost.

Mikal then grabbed Anna's hand as they both ran back from where they came from, their next stop, Archia.

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To be Continued

(2122 Words)

(A/N: Hi everyone! Yeah, this chapter got dark with the introduction of some OC's of mine as well as yet another twist happening up north. What shall happen? That will be next time, well, after the next chapter which will finally answer the question of, "What will happen to Saisho and Quarilaie's relationship now?" Either way, have a good day! Cya all!)