The Blood Lands

Chapter 1

I'm probably more of a mockery. A Blessed, a Thracen, having to kill mere soldiers. People will think I'm not good enough to fight a real challenge or worse... they'll think I'm a coward.

He did get to wield Stain, and with it he was given the Kanna, the limited supply his father can provide for him. One day, I will have that victory. Tonight, I'll call it another training session.

"Lord Lancel," a soldier spoke. Lancel looked at him. He knew the man's name, Ren. He was a good man, knew his family back in Scalgue. He was honest, a good commander. He always stood proud and strong knowing that he had made an honest living and lived a guilt-free life. Ren had a daughter, should be around ten. Lancel was even her guardian at birth. Though I'm pretty shit if I'm not real sure how old she is.

"They're moving now, shall I tell the men to get ready?"

Lancel looked onward. He could see the torches from afar, and the men they illuminated. He was looking at around two hundred soldiers, against his two hundred and fifty. Lancel and his army outnumbered them, and he had Stain. Seems like we can rest early tonight, and so can they - just with our swords inside them, he thought. It was going to be less fulfilling than he had hoped so. He anticipated to be fighting way more men, considering that they had information on Lord Drellidan's request for more men from Segnovia. Lancel was just as disappointed as Drellidan. Look at the bright side, at least I can end this quickly.

Lancel had men like Ren to worry about. He wanted to keep them safe, to protect them, and the best way was to end this early. Ren needed to go home. Lancel was a bad guardian, but the least he can do was make sure Ren returns home to his daughter alive.

"You nervous, Ren?"

"No, my lord. You're with us, we've done this so many times."

"I know. But you ever felt like this was a waste of time? We're just going to win this and do this all over again when another force comes."

"They'll run out of men eventually, my lord."

"And you think you'll get lucky every time until then? How about your family? Don't you worry about not coming home?"

Ren looked down and pursed his lips. He tugged on his leather vest, reached in and pulled out a small doll. A tiny soft figurine, with some thread on its head to make it look like a girl. "To be honest, I think a war at all is a waste of time."

Lancel chuckled. "Careful, Ren. You could be speaking treason."

"What I mean, my lord, is why do we have to fight in the first place? Why do they have to attack?"

"They want our land," Lancel said, though he wasn't really sure. Isn't territory and resources all people fought for? He didn't really pay much attention to his father's advisers and his own tutors on politics and foreign affairs. He was more keen to spend his time with Temar, his blademaster.

"So you're saying we should attack to get theirs? Then what makes us any different from them?"

Lancel paused to think. He has a point.

"If we attack them, we can end the war and spare our men-"

"At the expense of their men. Lord Lancel, we are all the same man, just following different orders. At the end of it all, it comes down to one king's pride over the other - or one ruler's greed. If you think about it, if we all just stay content and live life where we are, we won't have to fight at all."

A life without fighting felt foreign. What would Lancel do without holding a sword, or taking another's life. It was all he was trained to do, it was all he knew. But to no longer worry about your men dying. To no longer worry about keeping as much of them alive so they can go back to their homes. Would I want that world, one that I had no place in?