As the sun blooms on the horizon, just like golden petals stretching ever outwards into the rich blue, the coalition forces got immediately busy, mostly to start their rituals. The warriors kissed the cross, the symbol of their faith to Adrar, as if making a prayer, the ones who mostly did this were the knights. The gun carriers and demolition or dubbed as the "green" and "brown" men who were a collection of commoners, servants, and soldiers, who didn't have the luxury of religion looked at the things their family got for them when they set off, they were either a piece of accessory their loved one gave them or a piece of rock their children found for them, anything that reminds them of home, anything that reminded them of what they needed to protect, for those who didn't have it, they simply looked at their flintlocks and inspected it making sure it wouldn't malfunction along the way.

Andrei saw this as he went outside of the house he slept at, when he looked back at the room, Gideon was still there and was sound asleep in pajamas.

"This middle-aged guy sure sleeps like a log," Andrei said to himself, Gideon was supposed to be awake already, as they will be heading out to their a.s.signed post. "Hey Gideon! Wake up!" Andrei tried to wake him up.

But the viscount only rolled over, while murmuring things at his sleep, this made Andrei sigh as he carried his flintlock with its strap on his back. Seeing everyone was busy, the sleeping middle-aged man irritated him, "if you don't wake up, I'm gonna tell Ms. Layla about this!" Andrei knows that the viscount fears his wife more than their enemies.

With this, Gideon, just like lightning woke up, fixed his bed, changed his clothes and washed his face.

"Isn't he too scared of his wife?" Andrei made a wry smile, knowing that the viscount was already awake, he headed out to the location where they were told to gather, it was at the front of the house they had their meeting on, there he found Erneis and Claire in full gear, Claire was still yawning.

"Didn't you get some sleep Claire?" He asked her nonchalantly.

"Nah, not too much, sister wasn't used to the beddings so she kept rolling around, and I kept getting kicked out of the bed," she made another yawn as she squinted her eyes.

"Sounds troublesome," then he noticed that Erneis was sitting at the wooden stairs of the house, closing his eyes, Andrei wanted to greet him but Claire made a shush gesture to him.

"He's meditating, better not to disturb him," Claire told him flatly.

Andrei turned to her and decided to tease her a little bit.

"You, why are you not meditating?"

"No neeeed," she said nonchalantly as she yawned again.

"Why?" Andrei asked in curiosity, but made it sound playful, waiting for a line to hit Claire with.

"Erneis is a magic knight, or a caster and a knight at the same time, they can cast spells any element they prefer or are used at, so they need that meditation every day." She pointed at Erneis focusing while a breeze started enveloping his body, the white hair of the old man swung back and forth as he closed his eyes. "On the other hand, I'm just blessed by the spirits of forging, that's why I can make any metal weapons I want as long as I have its ore near me," she then tapped at the pocket at her waist, opened it and showed a metal ore.

Andrei stopped looking at Erneis and focused on Claire who was just standing a meter from him

"You're awfully serious and nice to me right now Claire, did you have a change of heart?"

"Nah, you're just imagining it," she retorted flatly as she wagged her index finger.

"Should I make you angry or excited so you will change your tone a bit?" he replied imitating her deadpan tone.

"Yes, yes, try it and I'll make it so you won't be able to speak again, ever, in your entire life," as if Andrei was an insect to her she wasn't bothered and still in her deadpan expression and voice while rubbing her eyes from yawning.

While dissing each other Michaela with the Savoy's came to the scene, with the wife dragging the sleepy viscount by the ear.

"So early in the morning to cheat Andrei," Michaela told him as she smiled and put her hands on his waist, "treatment should be equal you know!" she puffed her cheeks.

Unexpectedly, Claire interjected, "Equal? No way, there's no way I would KISS that idiot in PUBLIC, in an OFFICIAL MEETING WITH other people gathered" she changed the tone for the words the wanted to be focused on, and waved her hand, indicating she would have none of it.

Hearing that Michaela and Andrei went silent, and looked away from each other blus.h.i.+ng. Everyone around them who heard this stopped a bit, and looked at them. The gun carriers who were busy inspecting their flintlocks, the knights who chatted with each other, and Erneis' meditation was interrupted and the wind around him stopped.

"Ahaha I don't know what to say to that Claire," Andrei broke the silence, "Anyway! Is everyone ready?" Wanting to change the topic he looked intently at the safest choice, the Savoy's.

Layla read his expression and rested her cheeks on her palm making a girly gesture.

"Yes your highness, please take care of my husband along the way, he might be jumpy but he's useful in combat, he fought with the emperor after all."

"Good to hear that Ms. Layla, how about you, Erneis? Claire? And Michaela?"

"Yes!" Erneis responded as he started walking down the stairs.

Claire didn't respond and just gave him a V sign.

"That's a peace sign right? Well… it could also be a victory sign" Andrei thought. He nodded at her and turned to Michaela who was anxious but was back to her queenly aura that matched well the golden armor that she wore and the sword she has on her hips.

"Yes, thanks to your plan we can pull this off! I'll do my best to hold until you finish the emperor!" she said as she clenched her fists and showed it to Andrei.

"Just stick to the plan and you'll be fine, Geraldine will be there in my place after all," Andrei patted her at the head, "don't push yourself too hard"

"You too," she took his hand away from her head and held it, "this will be your first battle in close quarters, don't get too close, fight at a safe distance, let the others fight, they have much experience after all," she then looked at Erneis at the distance.

"Erneis, you are the strongest and wisest knight of Ethareri, I wish you good luck! Defeat the evil that threatens our homeland and return together with your comrades"

"Yes your highness," Erneis placed his right hand on his chest and bowed, "leave everyone to me, I'll make sure everyone comes home safely"

As the commanding group exchanged their goodbye's Rara appeared from behind them, she wore a light silver armor with a red straight accent to it, her silver hair was tied into a ponytail as she wielded a greatsword a bit taller than her at her back.

"Everyone, the enemies are closing in!" Her voice didn't have a trace of fear on it, behind her were the surviving Kydus knights, and they had only one wish, that is to take back their homeland and free their countrymen from suffering.

"Michaela, I leave my troops to you, that includes the four chief knights led by Carle, and also Raven and Eagle that you requested from Gideon's men," she presented his proud troops and men, ready to battle against the force that hurt their people.

"Yes, leave them to me, you may now set off with Andrei, Erneis, Gideon and Claire, but are you sure of just taking only them?" Michaela asked.

"Yes, the pa.s.sage is narrow, having a large movement will get us caught, right Andrei?" The red-eyed girl looked at Andrei, the one who suggested the infiltration strategy when they found the pa.s.sageway.

"Yes," Andrei scratched the back of his head and made a small laugh.

"Everyone! Let's set off! Two fronts! We defend and our best fighters will take down the enemies leader!" Michaela announced being surrounded by everyone.

?? ??? ????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ????

Sixty thousand elf-possessed warriors marched together with living humans, dragging them as they walked, the humans lost their will to resist.

A corrupted aura oozed from their bodies, as they marched in succession, although they were silent, their minds weren't, it was filled with telepathic exchanges between them, they talked about how fifty thousand of them were defeated, and how its commander pathetically died and left information about the enemy.

This time they decided to take on the humans seriously, red eyes glowed under their helmets, they were filled with wrath, and disgust to the humans that dared to take on them.

Soon, they reached the portcullises and they stood by there with the troops, some of them open it went near the winch and turned it. By turning the winch it slowly moved upward, and as it did they saw the odd formation of the human warriors.

They didn't have formations such as phalanxes, they simply stood by the other end of the small river behind the mounds.

"Tsk, they believe they can fool us by making us step into those erupting grounds!"

"We are smarter than you humans! We are higher beings! You disgusting little insects!"

"Release the hostages and let them see how their fellow humans get killed by their own traps!"

Several knights came upfront and dragged the humans with them, the number of captives numbered up to a thousand and more. They untied them and pushed them, and made a shoo gesture.

The hostages who saw this were broken, yet they knew that this was the perfect time for their escape, they run through the portcullises. Thousands of men, women and children with tears in their eyes screamed and ran through the portcullises and go through.

"HAHAHA! It should erupt by now!"

"Yeah! HAHAHAHA let's enjoy the spectacle!"

But contrary to their belief the ground didn't explode nor any of the hostages who fled were turned into pieces as they saw in the elf-commanders memories.

The hostages cried as they ran together and crossed the stone bridge, some female servants received them and a.s.sisted them to safety. The dark elves who witnessed this were angered.

"BROTHER! THERE'S NO TRAPS!!!! f.u.c.k!!!! TAKE BACK THE HOSTAGES!!! THEY ARE WITHIN RANGE!!! PREPARE LONG RANGE CORRUPTED HOLY SWORDS!!! OUR ANGER AND WRATH AS ONE!!!"

But before they could move they saw two birds flying at the sky, a raven and an eagle, a strange combination of birds, that should be hostile to each other, they circled around them, the dark elves noticed that they were carrying something at their feet, they were sacks of rice.

The eagle with its scream swooped down, and the raven did the same, as they swooped down their feet reversed the sacks, emptying them, instead of rice, black objects in lines fell down from the sky.