Amelia Merlin and the Game for Okamila

Part 16: The Battle for High Valley

My dearest Rose,

I've only got about three minutes to write this so I'll be quick.

As you know we're at High Valley. The battle here is insane. The lizards are more highly trained than we thought. But they're nothing for me. I cut through them like butter. I know you don't want to hear about the war so I won't say anymore on that. I'm doing okay. Still alive and still fighting to get back to you. They're calling me back now. I have to go back and fight.

Remember that you are my stars in my sky.

I love you Rose Dellisandro. More than anything else.

All the love in the world, Marco.

Marco folded up the letter and gave it to the Owl Master. The man's only job was ensuring that letters got where they were supposed to so Marco trusted him. He also didn't care that he had used Rose's name in the letter. Even if it was intercepted and someone saw, what did it matter? It wasn't going to change anything.

He put his hand on his sword and strode from the small tent out towards the battlefield. Sam was sitting against a tree, legs sprawled out before him, drinking. His face was covered in blood and dirt. He looked like shit but Marco suspected he didn't look any better himself.

"Sending a letter to the lady?" Sam raised his eyebrows.

"Who the fuck else would I write to?" He say down beside his friend and took the bottle from him. The liquid burned his throat and warmed his stomach.

"Dunno. I'm your only friend."

"That's not true."

Sam laughed. "Name one other person who puts up with you?"

"Shut up." Marco shoved him but laughed as well. It was no secret that he wasn't very well liked but he didn't care. He had Sam and he had Rose and he didn't give a dusty fuck about anyone else.

"We have to go back out there." Sam said after some time. His words caught a little bit in his throat. Marco put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on. Just stand behind me and you'll be fine."

Sam snorted. "Yeah right. You'd kill me doing some fancy move you learned when the Elbar man came to visit. You'd be so busy showing off you wouldn't realize I'm standing behind you and you'd kill me."

"Please. Elbar men don't know any fancy moves." Marco smirked and they walked down to the battle field where Sir Schwann was direction everyone.

"You two!" He yelled and pointed at them. "Get to the back forest. We need you out there!"

"Yes sir!" Marco rolled his eyes and ran off to his station. Sam followed behind him, huffing and puffing along the way.

"You're going the wrong way!" He called out. "Marco!"

He turned around and faced his friend with a slightly maniacal grin. "I'm not going to the fucking back forest. I'm going to the front lines. If Schwann thinks I'm sitting this out he's insane."

"He knows what he's doing."  Same tried to reason with him.

"So do I."

"Marco!" He begged but followed his friend to the front line of the Battle for High Valley.

The lizards weren't doing too well. Marco suspected that within the hour they'd be dead. He drew his sword and a sickening glee spread through him. When he was killing people it was like watching a symphony unravel. Marco was an artist. He was poised, graceful, and intentional in all his movements. He moved through the air and slashed through the bodies like he was born to do so. His dark hair whipped across his face as he slit the throat of another lizard. Almost every inch of him was now covered in blood. His shirt was soaked as were his pants.

He never heard the screams. The men said it was the screams that kept them up at night but Marco never heard them. When he was fighting a silence fell around him like rain. All he heard was the swish of his blade.

He must have killed twenty men within the hour. The lizards were resilient but the Queen's army beat them back and they surrendered eventually. Marco laughed when he saw the white flag go up.

He found Sam sitting in their tent with another bottle in hand. Gods only knew how he managed to keep getting booze.

"Pass that over." Marco grinned. "It's celebrating time."

"What exactly are we celebrating?" His words slurred.

"We won."

"Did we?"

"The lizards surrendered, fucking cowards."

"They lost, yes. But did we win?"

"That is generally how it works. Why are you getting all philosophical with me? I hate that shit." Marco glowered and stood up, starting to remove his blood stained clothes.

"Gods know why we're here. There were no gods out there on that field. I can tell you that." Sam groaned.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"In the name of the gods I pray," Sam started to say the prayer that every child in Kalishterya learned. "Forgive me for my sins. Help me forgive the sins of others. Give me the strength and the courage to go on. Lend my love to my loved ones and see it returned to me. Keep me safe. Keep me warm. In your name I pray."

"Fucking hell Sam." Marco rolled his eyes. "Don't start with that shit."

"You need to get in good graces with the gods-" Sam preached at him.

"Oh shut up. You know I don't believe in all that. Since when did you start?"

"Since I started killing people. Since this war started." His slightly chubby friend looked like he was going to cry. Marco turned away and tried to find a clean shirt. "I pray for you too, Marco."

"No point, Sam."

"Don't say that."

"It's true."

"No it's not."

Marco turned to look at him. "The only chance at heaven I have is Rose. And she's not here with me right now. Which means neither are the gods."

In the streets of High Valley the citizens cheered for the banishment if the lizards. Minstrels were already writing songs about the victories of the day. Mothers told stories to their children about the Girl Queen and in their castle, two brothers sat down for dinner together.