It was the year 300 after the arrival of the Great Hero who saved the world. Glorious times had followed his miraculous summoning. However, that marvelous event was not meant to be repeated.
No hero will come to save us… I thought. We'll be lucky if we even last another year in these conditions.
The world, after decades of hard-fought battles, was coming to an end. My hands slid over the table as I studied the map of the current situation of our last stronghold. Once we had numerous protected zones in the attempt to defend the last standing continent; nowadays this place is all we have left. I turned away from the map, which only stirred the most ominous feelings in my mind. Looking at it any longer would do nothing but increase the pain I already carried.
"Besides, there wasn't much more information on it, apart from everything we've lost," I murmured to myself.
Only one remains.
I sat down and let the weight of my regrets drop with me into the chair. Denying what I saw gave me no comfort. The torment had already settled in my mind, seeping slowly into every thought. The worst part is that this weakness… doesn't even come entirely from my will. Well, partly it does.
Among the many curses that plague this world, the curse of despair is the most dangerous of all. I feel tempted to give in to it every day. I have seen my brothers die, my parents, my friends. The only thing I have left is the knowledge that, if I collapse here, I will probably drag a whole legion down with me.
"I'm so tired…" I whispered.
Then the horrid sound of trumpets rang throughout the stronghold. It could only mean one thing: soon it would be time to fight once more. The curtains of my tent opened and a young soldier entered.
"Strategos Midas!" he announced. "Your presence has been summoned by the commander-in-chief, Ariel."
"Thanks for delivering the message. You may withdraw."
"At your command, Strategos!"
When the soldier left, I looked at my weapons. I reached out to take the spear, but the vision of my weakness struck me again: once I took my weapons with fierceness and without hesitation to defend my people; today, for the first time, I found myself trembling.
"What will it be this time?" I asked myself.
I have fought horrifying beings: cursed dragons, many-bodied chimeras, my own comrades resurrected… The list of what I have killed grows every day. Yet no day is easier than the last. I finally steadied my pulse and took up my weapons. I mustered the strength to put on the most indifferent expression I could and headed to the palace, now the center of military organization, via the teleportation matrix housed in my tent.
FSH!
Upon arrival, the herald exclaimed to announce my presence:
"GENERAL MIDAS HAS ARRIVED AT THE COUNCIL! WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE LAST TEN GENERALS, THE SESSION BEGINS!"
Hernan was the first to ask the question we all feared, with the typical bravado of those from the now-vanished Kingdom of the Lion of Asturias:
"How much time did the informants say we have?"
The long ears of little Eithne, once always upright, drooped a little more each day.
"The first wave will reach here in five hours," Eithne replied. "And from what my scouts have been able to observe, this time they're coming with everything. The infantry—if you can call these things that—are made up of bestial vampires; and to break the gates, they've brought behemoths. As for the skies, there are no fewer than twenty resurrected dragons, accompanied by thousands of corrupted harpies."
Eithne looked at Ariel with marked sorrow on her face.
"With Zorig's death you'll be fighting alone in the skies, Ariel."
Ariel turned her gaze to her old friend.
"I will not be alone. It has been decided that Midas will assist from the walls."
A small flicker of affection appeared on Ariel's normally stern expression.
Then a loud laugh broke the tense atmosphere. Orcium "The Aspect of War" burst into laughter. I looked at him and smiled. His existence and unbreakable attitude gave me strength on these miserable days. Ariel, however, looked at him angrily for his strident laughter; Orcium understood immediately. It was better to offer quick explanations when Ariel gave you that look.
"NAJAJAJAA! I couldn't help it, boss."
He did it again, I thought.
Orcish bravery never ceases to impress me. However, betraying my expectations, he quickly offered an explanation:
"It's just that seeing the Golden Duo gets me so pumped I want to go tear up a few bodies."
Then he gave the most innocent smile an orc of three meters can give. Normally what would surprise me most is that he could lie with that face, knowing that by now we all know his nervous tics. But today… What stunned me was that the usually severe Ariel directed a look full of warmth at Orcium. We were all surprised. Of course, our surprise didn't compare to Orcium's. Today I saw one of the most horrifying things I could ever have seen… A blushing orc. Unable to tolerate the hideous sight, I had to speak:
"Commander Ariel, how many manemite spears are ready for deployment?"
"With all the blacksmiths' work, we've managed to make twenty spears," Ariel answered. "Make every shot count."
"I don't plan to do anything less than that."
"Very well. However, I need the rest of you to be ready in the other sections of the wall. It's impossible to imagine this being the main force; what we'll do is concentrate most of our troops at the gates of the Last Bastion to stop any attack they launch. We'll divide the remaining forces around the wall and leave a strong reserve to respond to any setbacks."
"Hernan," she continued, "you will be in charge of protecting the east gate and will be temporarily in command of Midas's legion."
"Alnis," she said in a concerned tone, "have you recovered from your last wounds?"
Alnis, the little imp, looked dim. She no longer sang as she used to in the high towers; she had to push herself too hard using the power of vox to annihilate much of the last wave. Even so, she took a pencil and began to scribble vivaciously in a notebook to spare her voice. Every movement was exaggerated, as if she were painting on a huge canvas instead of a tiny notebook. When she finished, she proudly showed us her work: three little sticks and a circle that, apparently, represented Alnis over another stick-figure monster, with the phrase "I will win" written beneath.
Did you really exaggerate so much just to show us this? I thought, amused.
Alnis smiled gently.
"I'm glad you're ready," Ariel said.
Then Ariel turned to Michael. I observed the warrior closely at that moment: Michael was one of the most fit fighters for sieges, a man of angelic appearance, of the same lineage as Ariel, a proud warrior of the Sun God and a respected paladin. His white mane and golden eyes gave him a supernatural air.
"I imagine you want me to take charge of the southern wall, don't you, dear commander?" Michael asked.
"Yes. We need your legion to protect that sector; Arthur will accompany you. We will need you to heal our companions during battle, so we need you to keep as much mobility as possible to support."
"As for Orcium, Victoria and Arthur," Ariel continued, "I need them to stay in reserve and be prepared in case I must deploy them."
Then the vampire Victoria raised her voice:
"Commander, with your permission I want to fight alongside Eithne."
"Commander Victoria, I hope you have a good reason to propose that," Ariel replied.
"A good reason, commander… It's the same reason you keep Midas so close to you."
"Victoria…" Ariel interrupted her. "You know well that logically we should leave Midas in the gate area. After all, he's the only one who can use the manemite without succumbing to mana poisoning. He's necessary, as are Eithne and her legion."
Victoria looked at her with lifeless eyes and murmured, "I understand."
"Victoria, don't worry," Eithne exclaimed. "I'll be between Ariel and Midas; there's no safer place than between those two, so please, don't worry about me."
"It's impossible for me not to worry about you, and you know it," Victoria replied, while stroking Eithne's hair, extending her right arm from her seat to reach her.
"Flirting is forbidden in the planning room," Ariel mentioned, looking at them sternly.
Both blushed and lowered their heads in a mute apology. I coughed briefly to bring the focus back, and after discussing the plans in more detail, the session ended three hours before the attack.
I had gone to my tent to prepare my gear for the coming fight when suddenly a voice I knew all too well was heard:
"I'm coming in."
Ariel opened the pair of curtains that separated the rooms. I looked at her with slight surprise: someone as methodical and serious as she would not barge in on a whim, breaking etiquette.
"Ariel, what are you..."
"There's no time, Midas. Come with me."
Still surprised, I accepted.
"As you say."
We did not delay. Ariel used her teleportation magic and we arrived at the northern wall of the bastion. I kept silent; if Ariel expended such an ability, she had to tell me something important.
"We have fought hard, haven't we, Midas?" she asked.
"Yes… we did all we could." A dirty lie slipped from my mouth.
"Do not offer me words of comfort. I do not need them, Midas."
"It's true. You are the strongest of all. Of course you don't need them," I murmured. A sad truth escaped my mouth.
She has carried the weight of humanity for too long.
"To you that doesn't seem to be true, Midas."
"Why do you say that?"
"People look at me in many ways, Midas. Some with fear… I still remember those years. Lately that has changed to hope. But you, Midas, you have always looked at me with sadness… as if you saw a wounded creature."
"I want to ask you a favor, Midas."
"I will do it."
A clear laugh was heard. I looked around, searching for where that beautiful sound came from. Then I looked in disbelief at the apparent source, still surprised. Between laughs, Ariel said:
"Sorry, it's just that you didn't even hesitate. What I want to ask is simple. You don't have to be so serious."
She embodied seriousness standing before me, I thought.
"Please, Midas. Look at me like you did the first time we met."
It was a simple task, the easiest thing I had been asked in a long time. -I smiled- exactly like the first time we met, at that imperial party. I still remember: back then, a far braver version of me was smitten by the daughter of the Sun God. I have no idea how she remembers it, but I was certainly nervous and to this day I wonder if I made a fool of myself. Because she, that day, refused my invitation to dance. Nevertheless, before the fateful event that gnawed at my mind for years, I still remember the vision of her golden eyes. Her long hair like gold. And above all, her look of: "Why on earth is this man talking to me?"
I smiled more at the memory.
"Wow, Midas… you've exceeded my expectations once again," Ariel said.
Then she gave me a look full of affection… and sadness. Much sadness.
"Midas… There is something I need to tell you."
Then, intending to speak, she opened her mouth.
However, the words never came.
Almost immediately after, she bit her lip hard, causing it to bleed.
"Ariel…" I called to her.
"I… I will die today, we are all going to die."