Some things are hard to accept, even if you already know the outcome. No amount of preparation could save him from the thought of war. The death that he would have to witness, the blood that would be on his hands, the fear of children begging him to have mercy. But everyone has to do what they need to do to survive.
Being the Prince of an entire species was already a lot of pressure. Being the Prince and head commander of an entire species during a war was even worse. His father said it would help him Break out of his shell, make him more tough and that he would appreciate it later. He hoped his father was right. At the end of the day, Octavio's focus wasnt on who won and who lost. All he wanted was for him and the people he cared about to survive. He requested that his friends would be by his side during it all. One rejected, the other obliged, but said nothing to him. He didn't even have the guts to look at him. Octavio wasnt surprised ever since the incident happened. He had hoped he would get over it. It seems like even time cant heal everything.
The Octarians, while being more skilled and having stronger equipment, lacked in numbers against the inklings. Because of this, it almost seemed like the end of the war was soon approaching, and that victory was slipping away from them with every second. Octavio knew what he had to do. His father would tell him every second he could.
"A snake can move without its head, but it cannot think."
He knew he had to kill the leader and fast if he wanted any chance of winning. The only problem was no one knew who the leader of the inklings where or how to find them. Unfortunately this was something he had to deal with later, now they had to try and take back a northern section. It was there one chance of getting the upper hand. The went in the dead of night. Octavio leaving the way as him and his troupes split up surrounding the rest of the land. Octavio tried to get Damon to go with him, but couldn't find him. So instead, he went on his own.
Thankfully for him there was many trees in the north, so it was easy to hide. Inklings where scattered everywhere, except for one small area. It was a small ditch that looked like a graveyard. Octavio started to head closer before a short figure walked out. He knelt down infront of a grave a sat there. It was an inkling. Octavio slowly pulled his sword from its sheath, and slowly crept forward. He raised the sword over its head before it turned around. He could tell from those blue eyes and hat exactly who it was. It was Craig, the man who he promised he would marry as soon as this whole thing was over.
His eyes brightened once he saw Octavio. He stood up and hugged him.
"Oh I'm so glad your ok. I've missed you so much. I heard that a lot of Octolings got killed and was scared that one of them was you." He looked at him and smiled before kissing him. As much as Octavio wanted to kiss him back, all he could focus on was the badge on his chest. "Captain".
"It's not safe out here, cmon I know somewhere you can hide." But Octavio didn't follow. He knew he couldn't. This was the once chance to get his people the upper hand.
"Ok Craig. Lead the way." He said. As Craig walked forward, Octavio raised his weapon once again. He was hoping this would be quick. He hoped that he could run away and act like he was never there. He should have known it would never be that easy. As he pierced the blade forward, Craig turned around. He looked down at the blade as it stabbed through his skin, before looking back up. Octavio quickly pulled the blade back, Craig's hands clasped over the open wound as he tried to stop the blood for seeping out his skin. Octavio stared at him in fear and shock at what he's done. Craig tried to speak but couldn't. Blood started to fill his lungs, as he coughed trying to get it out. The pain in his stomach causing to fall and lay on the ground. Octavio couldn't stand to watch. Craig laid there motionless. He was breathing heavily, gasping for air. Octavio put the blade back in it's sheath, before pulling out a gun from his side.
He was about to fire before someone came running from behind. It was Damon, covered in enemy blood. He looked at Octavio and looked back down to see the mess that he made. When Octavio turned back around, Craig had stopped moving. There was no sound. Dead silence. And it hurt. It hurt to look at and it hurt to see. Damon rested his hand on Octavio's shoulder, signaling to him that it was time to leave. Damon didn't allow Octavio to go back out in the heat of the battle, instead he led him through the fight back to base. When Octavio told them what had happened, he expected some amount of sympathy from the others. Instead, they had a party celebrating the death of there captain, and the birth of there king.
Octavio couldn't celebrate what had happened. And he didn't. He said in his room staring at the floor, and told them to leave him alone. So when Damon walked in uninvited, he snapped at him for not listening. Damon ignored him and sat down next to him. No one said a word, there was nothing to say. Cheers could be heard through the walls of the Octarians celebrating there small victory.
Maybe for them, this was a sign of great things to come. For Octavio, this was the beginning of the end.
