2024-11-23 04:27:15
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The Reincarnated Heir Becomes A General CORYNTHE
There was light at the end of the tunnel.(Not an expression… There was light at the end of a tunnel before me, a tunnel I was unaware that I'd passed after walking for kilometres after defeating the Shadow Warriors.)Passing through it felt eerily like being born, even if I had zero memory of the original event, and nothing would surprise me as much as the sunlight that was all about. I put my arm over my eyes for them to adjust to the new lighting conditions, and saw in the distance, a wide range of tents, clearly a settlement or a camp or something of the sort, given the makeshift walls standing guard around the perimeter of the area, sealing it off from the rest of the sandy environment that spread around like an endless carpet.The walls did little to stop me from seeing what sat within, and I was amazed by how many the tents were, as many as three hundred if I could count them all. Small forms weaving in, out, and between them suggested a flurry of human activity — the first nor
The Reincarnated Heir Becomes A General THE WARLOCK OF CORYNTHE
Dwarves are unsettling people.Not to discriminate against them, or to mark any as less human than they actually are, but it does take the mind quite some time to reconcile who they are, and the fact that they're just like you and probably far older, only in a smaller body than yours is.So when I looked at this Warlock of Corynthe, the man who had set so many tongues wagging that the most intriguing stories about him were told, it was not hard for me to see why. My desire to see him — fueled and watered by Maia that these stories had awoken instantly died away, only to be replaced by a feeling of unsettling, one that made my body want to twist and fold within itself.The first was that he was far too small, even for a dwarf. Looking at him was like staring at a man the size of a big baby, his muscles rippling on the edge of his skin. Next was his face. Seeing it for the first time made me think it was a mask with how fixed it was, made so that his expression was a cunning, deceptive
The Reincarnated Heir Becomes A General WHO WILL TAKE HIM
A few chief warriors of the Warlock came not long after.The moment I saw them, I moved to one side of the tent, taking the animal skin I had been offered to sit on when I entered and my box of many treasures with me. In the tent of a magical warrior, I did not feel the need to sit in the midst of his generals, who numbered up to twelve when all had entered and the meeting began.They, however, seemed to take no notice of me, and rather sat in a circle about the Warlock, their faces glowing as the light of the sand scattered on the tent floor touched their skins. They started to speak, while I watched them from where I sat, trying to imagine what they thought of the Warlock's face. Most of them were big men, some as big as Inar, even probably bigger, while others were not so small, but smaller than me. In whatever case, they were all far bigger than the Warlock, but sat about him and looked to him as he stood in their midst, walking in the space they left to him.That was not the bigg
The Reincarnated Heir Becomes A General BRUMA
No one said anything the moment he did.Personally, I was terrified of this man, but tried my absolute best not to show it. I looked about the rest of the seated generals, watching and hoping that one would wish to snatch me from his grip and take me under their tutelage, but none did.“We have all agreed, then, that Bruma will add the new soldier to his ranks.”They made grunts that had no inclination towards dissent, and I knew it was all done. Bruma, who was about the same size as I was and with no eyes in his sockets, arose from the midst of the other generals and walked towards me — without any aid — reached for my hand, took it in his, and shook it, while I gaped at him in surprise, wondering if the pink emptiness in his sockets had their own ability to see.“Welcome, soldier. I will be honoured to help you sharpen your skills.” He said, touching his other hand over the union of mine and his. “I will give you both the opportunity to speak to each other, as the new soldier will
The Reincarnated Heir Becomes A General BRUMA'S TALE
The question he asked shattered a lot in one moment.“Who told you? Alexandros’s children were all killed.”Disappointment gripped my insides and made me cringe as he said this. It was like having everything in one instant… everything, and then having it snatched away so suddenly that I was left empty in the next. “Roxana, her son Alexandros, and even his illegitimate son Heracles by Barsine were all killed. Cassandros killed her. Everybody killed everybody…”Bruma broke off, looking away from me. “I fought next to him once. We, who were his soldiers, thought of him as a god, and would do so much as even cut ourselves open only to get a nod of his approval. I remember how our hearts would swell with pride as he charged before us into battle, and how we would fight to keep him alive.”Listening to Bruma as we continued to walk on after his question, with him leading the way, I thought he was a storyteller so good that he distracted me from my disappointment and my held back questions
The Reincarnated Heir Becomes A General BRUMA'S FALL
A newfound respect for Bruma grew within me.“And you lost your eyes doing it?”“Yes.”“How?” I asked, failing to understand the meaning. How he lost his eyes.“I did a lot. Fought wars. Shed blood. Lived until I decided that I did not want to be a man anymore. Being a man was limiting, like how Alexandros had conquered the world and lost himself not long after. I did not want to be close to being a god anymore. I wanted to be a god, to live forever. And to me, defeating the Invincible Soldier was my reward, the key to making me one.” I thought of my reason for fighting the Invincible Soldier. Mine was because I had to, because Hades forced me to. “I journeyed, shutting my now wide open ears to all who told me that I was set on a foolish mission, and reached the tomb. I hear the road is dangerous and perilous now, but then it was only a road, and you could find more people on it. I bought weapons, drank wine, slept in enough brothels to father a country, and told everyone I was goi
The Reincarnated Heir Becomes A General THE DREAM
I wrapped my hood closer around my body and sat on the cushion, while Bruma called for a meal to be brought. My mouth watered at the thought of food, given how long water had kept me company.The servant moved about while Bruma tried to make small talk.“What about you?”“What about me?” I asked, pretending not to know what he spoke of.“What brings you to the Desert of the Miserable?”For the first time, it struck me that I did not know this place where I sojourned. I had made contact with so few people that I did not know that the place had a name.“Is this place named the Desert of the Miserable?” I asked.“Why, yes. This is where all men who are being punished by the gods come to serve out their punishments, which is why it is a desert, abandoned and desolate. On occasion, we go into the real world, and blend into it for as long as we are allowed, before being snatched back to this place, this lovely abode of ours.”The servant came with a bowl of food just then, and a steamy piec
The Reincarnated Heir Becomes A General IN THE MORNING
I jumped to my feet, staggered, wondered if I was unsteady because of the wine, and then went outside the tent. All was bathed in greyish silver with the moon hanging overhead, and an unsettling quiet went through the whole camp. I took a few steps, remembered that I knew enough of the camp to get myself lost, and returned to the familiarity of Bruma's tent.The torch was burning lower, and I looked around for the servant. He was nowhere in sight, while Bruma lay like a contented baby, with an occasional, unconscious chew, and a more frequent snore to punctuate his sleep. For me — maybe because of how irregular my sleeping periods had been as I travelled, I remained awake, watching over him.He was more comfortable to see now that he had his eyes closed, and I looked at him, thinking of our conversations. While I bore Hades nothing but hatred over what he did to me, not far from me was a man who seemed content, even appreciative of his lot from the gods. I thought he was happy to be h
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HALF A MAN
I decided not to ride the Pegasus on the way back.This decision was driven by a variety of factors. First, I did not want to rush back to the tent, most likely because I did not want to find Inar waiting for me, or anyone else who wanted to congratulate me on my participation in the war and claim the Pegasus. Second, I wanted to be alone, to reflect on my death and how far it was from me. Certainly, I wanted to be able to die, but seeing so many dead men who had been marching to kill only the day before had touched my heart. Third, I wanted to admire the Pegasus and bask in its splendor. There could have been more, but I ultimately walked back."Will you not allow me to take you back?"I jumped back in fear, looking around for the voice that spoke. I was certain that no one had been close, but I still could not see anyone."I am here, the Pegasus."My gaze returned to the animal by my side, which shook its head in response."Can you speak?" I inquired, unable to think of any other qu
A CURSE
I felt much better when I washed all the blood off.With enough water in the pot, I watered both my Camel and my Pegasus, before settling to cook my own meat. It was an already dried and salted piece, and all I had to do was heat it up.As I cooked, some soldiers moved past with ragged, unsteady steps, and I waved them all, wishing them a good morning. They were quick to hail me, and some even stopped to give me their narratives of my action in the past day's battle in drunken tones. Others walked by with loot — horses and Eagle men's armour for the most part, and sometimes women. They, who I had not seen since I stepped foot in this camp, now appeared to have crawled out of their holes.When I was done cooking, I went back in to eat, and after that, set out to go bury my Pegasus' previous owner. He had been good while he lived, and might have been interesting if he wasn't fighting on the other side.The time to go came and I mounted the Pegasus, following the animal as it flew me to
BLOOD ON MY SKIN
The sky was lighting up when I woke up again.Nevertheless, I was groggy, and then went into the tent, forgetting that I had allowed myself a roommate, until I went in and saw her lying on the floor, clad in her armour. It cleared my eyes at once and I felt sympathetic, praying for the sun to rise so that she would meet Bruma. I was quite sure that he would take her in and still permit her the freedom she wanted without any sexual demands as well. He had Seni, and did not appear to be interested in women.With this in mind, I went back outside. There, I felt regret that I did not ask for any of the wells. I still carried the blood from the previous day’s battle, and now I needed a wash to keep me clean.I moved around, admiring the sight of my Pegasus and Camel together, both of them gifts to me. I did not have any plans on what to do with them, but I loved the beasts too much to let go.Once again, I looked down at myself and could still see the bloodstains. It amazed me that I had c
A CAMEL AND A PEGASUS
I did not turn until I reached my tent.Once there, I stopped the Pegasus and stepped back, in awe of the animal. Its magnificent white fur showed even in the dark, and I took off my armour — which had discomforted me so much that my body adjusted itself to the discomfort, and then threw it in the tent. I then returned to the animal and threw my arms around it.“Tomorrow, we'll bury your old master, and I'll take care of you.” I said to the beast.It huffed, and I laughed at the sound. It made me think of my camel as well, long forgotten in my inventory, and I asked Maia to bring it to me. This she did, and I had both of them with me, a Camel and a Pegasus. I tied both to the same anchor knocked in the sands, and sat on the ground not far from them, watching when something caught my eye from the side — a shadow.I took the pains to sit still and watch, curious about the spy. Whoever it was had their sights on me so hard that they did not even move while watching me, which allowed me t
THE PARTY BEGINS
My Pegasus had come with a saddle, a parting gift from its previous owner.Gently, I mounted it to even louder cheers, almost falling off as it rose. The wing caught me just in time, and I held even tighter to the bridle, giving the Pegasus a gentle rub when I maintained my balance, shifting my helmet to one hand to enjoy my ride.They started to call for me to fly, and I gave it another gentle pat, which sent it into a trot. An even harder one set it running, and a pat on the wings sent it off the ground, and the body stopped swinging from side to side, giving way for a smooth, gentle motion through the air as we went even higher and higher. Our men and their torches were now reduced to tiny, candle-sized lights, while the Pegasus flew in a circle, going round and round without stopping.I was soon weary of flying, and we slowly descended to the ground, settling on a patch of clear ground the men vacated for us. More applause followed, and when I got down from the Pegasus, I was lift
ANDREAS
Andreas was a man I thought had gone mad.Certainly, I knew I was the one who killed the man. I pulled the arrow that killed him. I did it for the Warlock. How was he then going to feel if the Pegasus refused him in front of everyone else?“Which of you will go first?”I did not want to. So Andreas stepped forward amidst rounds of cheers and applause from the men, especially those who claimed to have seen him shoot at the Pegasus. Funny enough, I found that my mind started to play tricks on me too, and I even began to wonder if I had truly killed the man or if I had imagined myself doing it. Even now, the events of the battle were surreal as I thought of them, like things that had happened in a dream while I slept. The darkness was coming over, and a few men were holding torches to offer light. Andreas went closer to the Pegasus under their watchful glares, backed away when it snorted, and stood, as if uncertain of what he started to do. It made me roll my eyes.Still, he refused to
THE PEGASUS
All eyes were on me as I lowered my hand, including pairs from my fellow men and those from the enemy. It was as though they were waiting for an instruction, waiting for something to be said, and I felt the need to say it just as much.“VICTORY IS YOURS. TAKE UP YOUR SHIELDS AND ATTACK!” I boomed.With these words, I picked up a shield, grabbed my sword, and ran towards the enemy, starting to feel the now familiar thump-thump of their arrows upon my shield and armour. Not long after, I had the eerie feeling that I was attacking alone and surrendering myself to the enemy on a platter of gold, until I heard men yelling behind me. Together, we rammed into the ranks of the Eagle men and their horses, and I cut into the first man of them I saw on foot, dividing his face into two horizontal halves. He was not the first to die by my hand, and neither would he be the last, as they turned and started to run, ignoring those of them who stood and tried to call them to fight.“Don't stop.” I crie
FIGHTING THE EAGLE MEN
The closer we drew to them, the louder and more frequent the thumps.I looked through the ‘Y’ in my helmet and a gap in the shield and saw how they stood like statues, their bodies standing still, their arms working in an impressive mechanism as they shot at us while sitting on horses. They were doing it at exactly the same time, and firing at the same angle, following the orders of the man on the Pegasus, who flew all over the battlefield with his flying horse. I could also hear the sound of the whistles Bruma told me about when he first told me about them, with the sound very similar to the one an eagle makes.That was when I fully understood what Bruma meant by order. They were far more ordered, more arranged, and more composed, as though they could read one another's minds. I would still have pondered on this if an arrow did not pass through some opening in the shield and lodge itself in the neck of the commander next to me. I watched in horror as he stopped, his eyes surprised, a
THE MARCH
The commander of the Eagle men was a quick man, and that was what saved his life. His Pegasus took him up into the sky just as rocks and swords found their way to the exact spot he had been, allowing him to escape unscathed. It caused a ruckus in our ranks, while the commanders took pains to call for order.“He has done what he set out to do.” Bruma spoke coldly beside me, while his very presence beside me burned into my skin because of the amulet I was wearing. “To rattle our ranks, annoy the strong and arrogant, and shake up the weak and feeble. We might be fighting an already lost war at this point.”“No, Bruma.” I declared, suddenly incensed by the prospect of losing. All the anxiety that had filled me when I opened my eyes to the day was gone, leaving the blood pulsing through my veins so hard that I felt it flow through me. Pulling my sword out of its scabbard, I felt ready to kill all the enemy if need be, and ready to die.“I did want to ask you about your sword. Whose is it?
