The Darkness of Dawn

by Braden Michael

  “I do understand, your Majesty.”

  “My sources told me that most of the Headland Army invaded Robinsport. A good amount of the army was here, so where are the rest? Regrouping with the Midlands?”

  “No Headland forces were sent there. The rest of our military is out at sea or laying siege to Arrowstone.”

  “Why Arrowstone?” Asher asked.

  “To reclaim the Kashin domain,” said Nobunaga.

  “Why wouldn’t Hiroshi send any men to help the Midlands? It only makes sense for them to help one another,” said Asher.

  “Yamamoto and Howell were not working together, explicitly at least.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Nobunaga leaned forward. “Howell played no part in the schemes against your father.”

  “Why should I believe that? He’s not known for being opposed to treachery,” Asher protested.

  “In battle, sure. But he did not coordinate any moves against the Emberlands. The armistice was King Hiroshi’s idea, and the treachery along with it,” Nobunaga explained.

  Asher looked away, completely flabbergasted.

  “It isn’t unreasonable to think that they worked together, but it’s simply not true,” said Nobunaga.

  Asher stood up and looked towards the door. “Andy!”

  The door was promptly opened, and Andy came rushing inside, looking at Asher curiously, awaiting his word.

  “Put Nobunaga in chains and lead him to the chopping block.”

  Andy began walking towards the General, who looked at Asher in protest. “You promised to spare me if I provided—”

  “You may deny it, and it may not have been you to have done it personally, but you helped kill my father, General. And you think that I can spare you?” Asher scoffed and cringed angrily.

  Andy grabbed Nobunaga and began dragging him towards the door. Nobunaga glared contemptuously at Asher, his stare unbroken until Andy opened the door, threw him outside, and passed along the order to the men posted just outside. He shut the door and walked over to Asher, joining him in looking out at the balcony.

  “You’re certain you want Nobunaga dead? He did surrender,” Andy pointed out.

  “I’ll spare his men.”

  “I don’t disagree with killing him, I’m just considering how the rest of the Dawnlands will perceive it. If you execute people that surrender to you, regardless of their crimes, you’ll acquire a reputation,” Andy cautioned.

  “A reputation that I take crimes against my family seriously,” said Asher.

  ‘What you did to the Furakuhold wasn’t enough to prove that?” Andy questioned.

  “I…” Asher paused, bit his lip, then sighed. “He needs to die, Andy.”

  “Of course,” Andy said sheepishly.

  As he looked at the view, Asher was angry but silent, thinking. I didn’t start this war. I never betrayed an armistice, and still, people doubt me?

  OOOUUUUHHHHHHH! A war horn blazed from the fortress’ front walls, and the beginnings of a marching army emerged in the distance. Asher and Andy both looked at the approaching army fearfully.

  “Are we under attack?” Asher asked.

  Andy squinted and held his hand out to block the sun. “They’re Emberlanders! Look!”

  Asher squinted, focusing in on the distant army. Surely enough, they wore red armor and carried Emberland flags.

  “Let’s get down there!” Asher called out excitedly.

  Asher quickly ran towards the exit with Andy close behind. They bolted out the door to the surprise of the nearby men.

  “Men, with me! Our forces are here!” Asher called out.

  Asher began down the stairs with Andy and the other soldiers close behind. They enthusiastically descended the steps, gathering more Emberlanders as they passed the entryways into each floor below. Once they reached the bottom floor, they ran out into the main hall, dashing past the fountain.

  “Open the gates!” Asher called out.

  A handful of men heaved violently as they pushed the gates open. The doors made a large scraping sound as they dragged against the ground. Sunlight poured into the hall with greater and greater intensity as the doors opened further.

  Asher bolted out into the courtyard. Every soldier outside stood incredibly vigilant as they muttered amongst themselves. “Are we under attack?” said one man. “I doubt it,” another replied. When the soldiers saw Asher running past them, they looked at him quizzically, but quickly joined him when they caught on.

  Once he reached the end of the courtyard and the beginning of the wall, Asher stopped. He maintained a bold posture as he went through the gate and to the field outside, Andy right beside him. With a cadre of dozens of soldiers backing them, they ventured out to form their welcoming party. The arriving army spanned the horizon, but there was no real way to tell how many men were in it. The center core was made up of Emberland infantry and the infamous armored cavalry occupied the flanks. The ground seemed to rumble as they approached, and a powerful grunt filled the air as they all came to a resounding stop just a few dozen feet in front of Asher’s party.

  An Emberland officer wearing a helm and riding a horse trotted up to Asher and dismounted. While marching forward, he took off his helm to reveal his hardened face: Colonel Schafer’s face.

  “Colonel? I’m thrilled to see you! But I must say, this is a surprise,” said Asher.

  “My Emperor! I’m thrilled to see you are alive and well.” Schafer and Asher shook hands, then the Colonel looked at Andy. “Guess I have one of his guardsmen to thank for that?”

  “His Imperial Majesty does a great job defending himself. It’s good to see you again, Colonel,” Andy said humbly.

  “You too, Andy,” said Schafer.

  “So, what brings you up here?” asked Asher.

  “General Miles sent me to find out the truth about rumors regarding the capitulation of the Furakuhold,” said Schafer.

  “How’d he hear about such a rumor so quickly?” Asher inquired.

  “Our scouts do good work, your Majesty. So, if you don’t mind my asking, how is it you managed this with such a small force? Around 700 men, I believe?”

  “A lot of planning and a lot of luck,” Asher replied confidently.

  “Must’ve been more planning than luck,” Schafer chuckled. “Luck don’t count for shit in war.”

  Asher smirked, looked down, then back up with a straight-to-business expression. “Any updates from our efforts in the Midlands?”

  “There’s good news and bad.” Schafer bit his lip.

  “Well?” Asher asked.

  “The good news is that the Midland raids drew the enemy garrison out of Thebeskar, and our host successfully ambushed and destroyed them. Over 30,000 men.”

  “That’s excellent!” Asher said enthusiastically.

  Every man in Asher’s party appeared joyful and satisfied, quietly cheering amongst one another. Schafer was, however, somewhat distraught, along with the rest of the army that stood behind him.

  “What?” Asher said curtly.

  “The entire Midland army abandoned their front with the Rocklands and traveled east. They met our Midland host along the road and slaughtered all of them.”

  “Oh no…” Asher’s heart sank into his chest.

  Dreadful murmurs began to emanate from everybody nearby.

  “That’s half our army,” Andy pointed out, his voice wrought with desperation.

  “More than half. Miles sent a contingent of 17,000 men to join our Midland host after word of their first victory reached him. We are down to, roughly, 40,000 men. Howell has more than double that,” said Schafer.

  “Fuck! We can’t beat Howell with only 40,000 men!” Asher lashed out.

  All the nearby men looked at Asher expectantly. When he noticed the uncertainty on their faces, he immediately calmed down. Unleashing anger is unbecoming of an Emperor, he remembered.

  “Where’s Howell’s army now?” Asher asked pragmatically.

  “
Most returned to Habwaken, but there are various contingents throughout all of the Midlands,” Schafer explained.

  “Any updates on the Rocklands?” Asher asked.

  “Our sources claim that the remainder of the Rockland forces, around 80,000 men, pursued the retreating Midland army. Also, Vaishalla Robinson defeated King Hiroshi at Robinsport, even though his forces were triple the size of hers.”

  “Triple?” asked Asher.

  “The new ruler of the Rocklands has proven herself quite capable. She would make an invaluable ally,” said Schafer.

  “That she would,” said Asher.

  “Right before General Miles sent me to meet with you, he sent a small detachment of men west to meet with the Rockland forces and propose that we work together. Miles didn’t want to do such a thing without your approval, but he felt he had no choice,” said Schafer.

  “He was right,” Asher replied.

  Asher remained silent and deep in contemplation. He crossed his arms and rested his chin on one hand, remaining deep in thought for several seconds, before his eyes lit up.

  “New plan. We depart from here immediately and head south to rendezvous with our own forces, then we’ll work out a formal alliance with the Rocklands, then we march on Habwaken, and paint Howell’s home red with his blood.”

  “Couldn’t have said it better myself,” said Schafer, smiling with satisfaction.

  CH 40 – Vaishalla IX

  After spending only a few hours gathering supplies at the Eikiport, Vai departed towards Arrowstone with her 12,000-strong army. On her orders, the army’s daily quota for distance had been greatly increased. As a result, Arrowstone was only a two-day march away.

  After the first day, the army had marched for sixteen straight hours, covering a massive amount of ground. Once they stopped for the day, Vai stayed in her tent, drinking a great deal of wine. At one point, Archard requested an impromptu meeting, which she granted. He came into the tent, appearing exhausted.

  “Your Majesty, if our forces march too far in a day, they’ll be too exhausted to fight. You saw firsthand how poorly Yamamoto’s forces fought at Robinsport!” Archard pleaded with her.

  “I don’t care, Archard, we have to get to Arrowstone as fast as possible! That is not up for debate!” Vai retorted.

  “Your Majesty, sieges can last for years! By arriving a few days later, we spare our men’s energy, and they can lift the siege more effectively!”

  “I understand, Archard, but the men will tough it out. They’ll have to.”

  Archard reluctantly sighed, then exited the tent.

  Vai looked around her tent, noting how much more disorganized it was now than when Elizabeth was still with her, with her empty wine bottles sprawled across the floor, an unmade cot that replaced her bed, and various pieces of clothing littered throughout. Vai wanted to be responsible for her own tent, but her mind was too preoccupied to do a good job. She had never been disorganized growing up, even when she did not have a handmaid’s help, but times had changed.

  “Vai?” Adrian walked into the tent with a concerned look on his face.

  “Oh! Adrian, uh, I’m fine,” said Vai.

  “I don’t mean to call you a liar, but I doubt that.”

  Vai looked at him with momentary anger, but sighed, looking away.

  Adrian took a few steps towards her. “I’d be more concerned if you weren’t distraught, given the circumstances.”

  “We have to get there as soon as we can, Adrian!” Vai cried out.

  Adrian stood right in front of her and began holding her hands. “We will. But we need to be at full strength to do it.”

  Vai hugged Adrian, buried her face in his chest, and cried. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, and she squeezed tightly.

  “I can’t lose them, Adrian. They’re all I have,” said Vai.

  “That’s not true. Those men out there are your family too. They’re loyal to you, and they’ll fight for you because they believe in you,” Adrian reassured her.

  Vai lifted her face from Adrian’s chest and looked into his eyes as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. His hand lingered on her face, until their lips met with a tender embrace.

  As they continued to kiss, she felt a sense of security win her over. She began to undo the straps on his armor, but he pulled away from her, looking hesitant.

  “What’s wrong?” Vai asked, deeply concerned.

  “Someone could walk in, or hear—”

  “I don’t care. I want you.” She pulled him in close, but he didn’t budge.

  “But, your husband… It’s too soon…”

  “I never cared about him, not like I care about you.” Vai touched his face and looked at him longingly.

  Adrian’s hesitation left his face, and he continued kissing Vai. Their kiss went unbroken as they pecked at their clothes and armor bit by bit, removing them piece by piece. Adrian’s armor pieces clanked as they hit the ground, and the strings on the back of Vai’s battledress made ripping sounds as they were torn one lace at a time. Before too long, they wore only their undergarments, and they began scuttling towards the cot. Their kisses slowly morphed from tender to fiercely passionate as they collapsed onto the cot and proceeded to truly experience one another.

  While Vai was with Adrian, there was no fear, there was no tragedy, and there was no darkness. She no longer had crippling stress, anxiety, or seemingly insurmountable challenges. There was only her and Adrian.

  Vai and Adrian lost all perception of time. They simply lay down on the cot together in each other’s arms, trying to catch their breath. After a long while, Adrian reemerged from the fog of love, and worry began to seep back into his face. Vai noticed.

  “What’s wrong, love?”

  “We’re not married. If anyone finds out—” Adrian trailed off.

  “Well we best make sure no one finds out.” Vai giggled softly.

  “Or we could just get married?” Adrian joked.

  Vai laughed rather loudly. “Oh-ho! You must be in a good mood to be so forward.”

  Adrian laughed gleefully. “Well you sure tried your hardest to put me in a good mood.”

  They both laughed again but were careful to control their volume. They continued to lie down together, feeling each other’s warmth for another long while, until Vai sat up.

  “Time to get dressed.” Vai gave Adrian a peck on the cheek and stood up.

  The fresh nighttime air seeped into the tent, hardening Vai’s bare nipples as she walked to her clothes. Adrian admired the beauty of her body as she put on her undergarments, then her cotton undershirt, and lastly her battledress. She struggled with the laces, but Adrian stood up and began securing them for her.

  “Allow me,” he said.

  One by one Adrian securely tied the laces into the loopholes of the battledress. When he was finished, he gently turned her around and kissed her. He proceeded to put all his clothes back on, followed by his armor. Once he was fully dressed, he walked to the exit, stopping to turn around just before leaving.

  “Until morning,” said Adrian.

  Vai smiled at him sweetly, then he walked out. She went back to the cot and collapsed onto it, sinking back into her thoughts. I’ve never had a man I truly cared for, she reflected. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

  OOOOOOUUUUUHHHHHH! Adhering to ritual, the horn erupted at dawn. Vai rubbed her eyes, but quickly stood up and shambled outside. All around her, exhausted soldiers crawled out of their tents groaning and yawning. When they saw her, they quickly snapped out of their morning fog and forced themselves to work quickly.

  “Get ready to march, boys! We got a long day ahead of us!” one officer was heard shouting.

  “Belay that!” Vai called out.

  The nearby men stopped dead in their tracks, muttering amongst themselves, all while looking at Vai with quizzical expressions.

  “We’ll return to normal marching speed. Spread word through the camp and make sure Lord Archard is aware,�
� she ordered.

  The soldiers made scattered and hoarse replies. They went off in different directions and echoed Vai’s new order to the rest of the army.

  With remarkable effectiveness, the soldiers packed up all the tents and equipment, and they swiftly were back on the march. They spent the next eight hours marching at a modest pace until they set up camp again. When the day’s march was over, the soldiers were visibly tired, but extraordinarily relieved. They spent many hours eating, singing, and resting before heading off to sleep.

  The next morning, the army woke up refreshed and at peak morale. Word spread around the camp that Arrowstone was only a few hours away. Vai’s scouts had returned to the camp to report that there were indeed 10,000 Headland soldiers besieging the castle, but the garrison had been putting up a good fight. She had never felt so excited through all her life as she did now.

  After marching for over three hours, the army approached the hill just before the open fields of Arrowstone. Vai ordered the army to set up a temporary camp to make sure everything was in order before the battle.

  “Your Majesty, the enemy army is split into three distinct groups to account for the river splits and the geography. The rivers… The trenches… It’ll be impossible to send in cavalry,” Archard informed.

  “I trust your instincts. Tell me, what do you see as the best option?” Vai inquired.

  “Let the cavalrymen remain on the horizon of the battle. Don’t send them in directly, and task them with picking up anyone that flees. We send our infantry to attack while the archers fire down on the enemy.”

  Vai nodded approvingly, “I concur. Make it happen.”

  “At once, your Majesty.”

  Archard went off to the rest of the army and began organizing them appropriately. He took great care to be quiet, to not let their presence be known. With the same admirable efficiency that Vai had come to know, the men filed away into battle formations and disappeared from the forest. Adrian remained with Vai, along with a small detachment of Royal Guardsmen.

  “I won’t be of any use in this battle, I’m afraid. We’ll wait it out and oversee the battle from the hill,” said Vai.