Fearless (A Mulan Retelling)

Chapter Forty Five

*Warning-strong language

The dawn was breaking once more in the Krenshai Caverns, but it did not instill hope in the soldiers like usual. Yesterday, the battle looked as if it had been won in the Eldian favor... but now, the soldiers weren't so sure that they would ever see the end of it. For as the sun rose, a massive battalion of Token soldiers marched on the caverns to meet the remaining men in battle.

The Eldian hope, once strong standing, was now shattered into nothing but fragments. These elite men were clad in exquisite armor and seemingly well trained. Anyone that watched their confident stride and disciplined march knew that these enemies were different than the ones that they had encountered before. It was as if the Tokenmaster had saved the best for last. What a fucking nightmare.

Even with the desperation, the Eldian soldiers formed the line once more, preparing for the coming onslaught. As they waited, they were able to see the desolation. There were so many good men... dead, laying within and in front of them. So much bloodshed. And now there would be more.

Seeing the new opponents, Sergeant Tusal rode in front of the men and raised his sword.

"Do not lose hope!" he shouted to them, "Hold the line!"

The men listened.

"These are the men that burned your villages! These are the men that slaughtered your families! They want to kill your fathers! They want to burn your houses, and fuck your daughters and sisters and mothers! They want to slit your throats and dance on your corpses!" the sergeant yelled, "I don't know about all of you, but no one fucks my mother while I'm breathing! Show them how we Eldians stand! Show them we will fight until our last gods damned breath. Show them that we will bleed them as long as they choose to do the same to us! Push them out of the Caverns!"

Some of the men shouted in agreement.

"That's what I like to hear!" he rode out in front of them. "So, for the gods' sake, form the line! If we die, we drink with the gods tonight!"

The men shouted now, feeling slightly invigorated, and began raising their weapons to the sky.

"Swords at ready!" he called. "Archers... nock! Volley!" On that command, hundreds of arrow tore across the field into the Tokens.

Sergeant Tusal now turned toward the oncoming force, heart pounding with a combination of rage... and of adrenaline. But not of fear. Never of fear. "Get ready!" he called.

"Ready yourselves to charge!" he yelled, "Ready yourselves to defend all that you ever held dear. All that you care about! Because tonight, we're all fucking heroes! Do you hear me? We're heroes! Songs will be sung about this day, so don't you come away with a clean sword!"

"Fight for your gods!" he shouted, and signaled the charge. "For your general!"

"Fight for your lands. Fight for your country."

As the Eldians stormed mightily towards the Tokens, the Eldian horn was blown. It was deep. It was fearless. It shook the ground along with the soldier's powerful stampede. The men knew that they could die today... that this might be the day that the Eldian army fell... but they were ready. Ready to fight for everything they had.

And, like the sergeant encouraged, they were ready to make their stand... even if it was their very last.