We trained until our bodies could barely take it anymore. Day after day and night after night, we pushed ourselves harder, knowing one thing was certain: the Dominion of Ashes would not wait forever. Now the time had finally come. The air felt heavy, like something terrible was about to happen. The battle was no longer something far away. It was right in front of us.
We knew this clearly—if the Dominion attacked first, we would be completely destroyed. Their power was overwhelming, and their cruelty was well known. So we chose the only option we had left. We would attack first. We would go straight to their hideout, deep in the scorched lands where ash constantly fell from the sky and the sunlight never felt normal.
Our plan was dangerous, but it was the best one we could come up with.
The Dominion had ten general. Nine generals are able to figth' and one was injured . That general was now seriously injured. He could not fight, but even in that state, he was still a threat. If he recovered and joined the battle, our chances would drop to almost nothing. Because of that, we decided to split our forces.
The Ember Guard—our strongest line of defense—would deal with the Dominion's normal soldiers and keep the injured general under control. Meanwhile, we would face the nine generals ourselves. Challenging them directly was madness, but if we could defeat them, we would finally have a chance to face the king.
That was the plan.
As we moved closer to the Dominion of Ashes' hideout, the ground beneath us turned dark and cracked. Towers of burned stone rose in the distance, broken and twisted. The wind carried the smell of smoke and decay. The moment we crossed into their territory, the attack began.
Steel collided with steel. Fire spread across the battlefield. The Ember Guard fought bravely, holding back wave after wave of enemies. For a moment, it looked like the plan was working.
Then the generals appeared.
Everything changed.
Their presence alone was overwhelming. The Ember Guard could handle the normal soldiers, but the generals were on a completely different level. They didn't feel human. Each one released a pressure that made it hard to breathe. One of them stepped forward, his eyes glowing in a way that made my blood run cold.
He looked straight at me and spoke. His voice was calm, confident, and cruel.
"I have an idea," he said. "Can you deal with us?"
Before anyone could answer, he continued. "One general will fight against two of your people. If you accept, your Ember Guard will be spared. If you refuse…" He smiled. "I will kill all of you right here."
Fear spread through our ranks instantly. When the Ember Guard met his gaze, their courage broke. Weapons slipped from shaking hands and fell to the ground. The silence that followed was worse than screaming.
We had no choice.
So we accepted.
But agreeing to his offer didn't solve everything. Not all of our allies were meant for direct combat. Some of my friends have different abilities like for support, teleportation or body transformation. Those powers were useful, but against a general of the Dominion, they weren't enough on their own.
Facing them like this meant death was very real.