Genesis (Prophecy Rock Series, Book 1)

Chapter Twenty One

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Nobody spoke much as the company continued their march. For three days, soldiers were alone with their thoughts. Only General Arges and Captain Titan seemed capable of carrying on as normal; discussing possible battle plans for Lake Raphia, and even managing to laugh occasionally, as one of them would tell a comical anecdote. They tried their best to maintain a sense of normalcy, but it wasn’t enough.

General Arges’ Third Unit was famous for its ferocity and skills in battle. They were not composed of intellectuals, alchemists, or academics. People with those skills were assigned to other legions. The Third Unit was composed of the fiercest soldiers in the kingdom. They were massively sized soldiers with twice the strength and toughness as well. Their mental fortitude was unquestioned on the battlefield. These soldiers had seen and done things that the average soldier would go insane from. Every soldier tallied the number of victories they’ve had in battle upon their backs. Scarring their skin, a notch for every battle won. Unit standouts like Captain Titan had backs that were completely filled; so they’d begun to tally victories upon their arms.

The unit’s sigil was the Kraken, the ferocious mythical beast of the sea that battered and swallowed its enemies, drowning them in the ocean, never to be heard from again. The unit made it its decree that no enemy would ever receive mercy. The battlefield was the ocean, and they the Kraken, ready to drown their enemies in a sea of their own blood. Unlike other units who carried a banner with their sigil crested upon it, the Third Unit carried no flag. Instead, their sigil was tattooed upon their necks, a Kraken reaching out with eight arms. They had one of the most controversial initiations of any unit as well. When a new recruit was assigned to them, they needed to prove their worth. General Arges rolled a die, and whatever number it landed on was the number of enemies the recruit needed to fight in the battle pit. Enemies could consist of soldiers, or savage beasts like bears, lions, or cerberus. For fifteen minutes, the recruit fought for survival, deflecting every blow and attack in a bloody dance of death. If the recruit survived, they were welcomed with open arms, and Arges gave the honor of notching their first battle tally upon their back. If they failed to survive the fifteen-minute onslaught, they were sent back to the infirmary, and then back to headquarters for reassignment. Many did not make it out of the infirmary at all. This was a group meant only for the strongest of warriors.

The past three days weighed heavily on Arges’ mind. His soldiers, the elite of the elite, had been corrupted with fear. Never in all of their battles had they ever acted like this. Their usual loud bantering, impromptu sparring sessions, or other competitive acts of fortitude were gone, and in their place was silence. Nobody spoke a single word. They simply marched forward, eyes constantly searching the forest for the next attack. Soldiers took quick glances at one another, never knowing if one of them was going to be transformed, like Izik. Cracks were appearing within his unit, and Arges knew he needed to get them out of the Dark Forest as soon as possible.

Aric watched Arges closely as they continued their slow march through the forest. He stole quick glances at the general, trying to measure the emotions he knew were raging inside of Arges. The Krakens were as close as family to the young general, perhaps even closer. The pain of losing a single one of his soldiers must’ve cut deep into Arges’ guilt, but to lose five must’ve been unbearable. Arges was trying his best to keep up his soldiers’ morale, encouraging them to resist the temptation of evil that lurked in this godforsaken place, but the only responses he received were fear and silence. Aric remembered the first day he had rode into the Krakens’ camp; Titan was battling in the pit while his comrades looked on excitedly. There was an energy, a warrior spirit that was palpable in the air, but now, that was no longer the case. Was this his fault? Was he to blame for fracturing the Krakens’ mental psyche?