Horns and drums greeted the rising sun, chasing away the storm that raged through the plains.
The opposing army marched in a uniform formation with shields up front and many riding packs of Cinderwolves. Oliver's eyes swept the opposing army, looking for traces of his men, and sighed when he only saw a few. They created the spectacle with the Taotie Orbs to give them a chance to escape. That was all he could provide them with, a single chance. He had no idea if it was for their benefit or their doom.
The Bierzens, however, did not make up for a fraction of the Ravager army. What was once five legions had more than doubled, and Oliver's army had now dwarfed in size.
How many Ravagers hid in the Asksno caves?
Quincey stepped to the other side of Oliver. "I believe you grossly underestimated their size, General." He jested.
"Fuck off," Oliver grumbled. "Nothing changes. At least facing a larger army is something we're used to."
He turned toward Draco. "Do you think they saw your dragon form?"
Draco shook his head as he was pulling on new armor. "I doubt it. I couldn't even see them when I had the vantage point in the sky. But we should act as they did."
They both knew that Yonsu was aware that Draco could shapeshift, but he didn't know how large or powerful he was. They hoped to keep it a secret for the time being.
Oliver and the others stood in the center of the field as both armies approached.
Yonsu rode toward them with several large Ravagers on stallions. He smirked, causing his new scars to distort his face. "Have a rough night, Lord Kardos?"
Oliver smiled. "What do you mean? We had a barbecue, and it was delicious. How was the other night for you?"
Yonsu's confidence shook a little. "I always thought you hated deserters, yet you encouraged so many of your fellow countrymen to flee."
"I encouraged victims of your tyranny to liberate themselves. There is no shame in rejecting an oppressor." Oliver chuckled.
"I will hunt them all down and kill them. You did nothing but delay their deaths for a few days."
"It won't matter, considering you will be dead shortly," Draco chuckled.
Yonsu glared and then waved his arm behind him. "As you can see, my army surpasses yours."
However, this statement made the men laugh. Oliver and Quincey had faced worse odds before.
"Laugh now, but my army will show you the meaning of despair," Yonsu huffed and turned his men away.
Oliver watched them carefully, examining their army and line formations.
He then looked at the men waiting for him to give them orders: Draco, Quincey, Gallio, Savvi, Antony, Imran, and Aris. There was never a more incredible team with him before.
"I need infantry in the center, cavalry on the rear flanks. Quincey, our main force must be strong. We must collapse their center." He turned to Savvi. "You need to partner with him and direct our melee attacks."
They both saluted and took off to lead their troops.
"Aris, I need you to support our rear and long-range attacks. Archers and whatever magicians we have." He bowed and left with the others.
"Antony and Imran, you will lead the cavalry and watch our enemy's wings. Attack when you see fit. I trust your instincts," He ordered. The two men left to follow his orders.
"Priests will be in the center, and they will be our greatest defense against their magic attacks. Gallio, I leave this to you." Gallio nodded when he heard Oliver's command and returned to the army.
All who was left was Draco. Oliver grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him to kiss him. Draco was surprised but melted into him, wrapping his arms around his waist.
They broke apart with heavy breaths. "What shall you have me do, my husband?"
Oliver smiled. "They will use magic, so we shall respond in kind. And if needed, tear them to shreds."
A throaty chuckle escaped Draco, and his fangs peeked behind between his lips. "If I get my claws on Yonsu—"
"He's yours to kill," Oliver answered. They walked back together to their army, where their stallions were waiting.
Oliver looked over his army—legions of men waiting for his orders. They gave him salutes of their nations and called out, "Guardian!"
They were a mix of colors and flags, but his men, nonetheless. Before, he would seek to cut them down, but now he protected them.
Because of the rain and fires, a light fog covered the ground, concealing the once green grass. The horses pawed at the ground nervously, and the soldiers' breath was labored. There was nervousness in their eyes and anticipation for what may come.
Death was the only guarantee in this war—death and Oliver's wrath.
He swept his gaze to the enemy army before them, lined up in their formations and rows. They were larger than expected, but they will also die. They will also bleed.
Before every battle, there was a scent in the air like electricity. It was the last inhale before death.
The opposing army was yelling and chanting. They banged their shields and blew their horns. The noise was enough to ripple through Oliver's army, and their breaths turned silent.
These were children who had never been to war. They read stories and dreamed of wielding their swords for their kingdom, but there was always fear and apprehension when you faced the battlefield.
But for Oliver, this was home. He had lived more on the battlefield than in peace. He knew this feeling.
And though the Ravagers were intimidating, they were nothing compared to the army that rivaled Oliver... the army that Draco stood in front of in their past lives.
Oliver could hear Yonsu rally his men on the other side of the field. Roars and cheers echoed in the early morning.
However, his men were silent. His men feared.
Oliver sighed and rode his horse out before them and faced them.
"I am too crass of a man to ease your worries with pretty words. Tomorrow, some of you will go home to your families. Some will be lauded as heroes. Others will be laid on the funeral pyre when the battle is done... Even the bravest man fears death, but death comes for us nonetheless. All I can tell you is to meet it with your blade in your hand and fire in your heart. When the halls of hell welcome you to your eternal home, enter with a battle cry."
Olver turned his horse, not bothering to capture the reaction of his men. It was stunned silence. However, when they found their voices, their cry made the ground shake. Oliver closed his eyes, feeling the roused spirits.
A rumble was heard from the other side, and the Ravager army started to charge. They did not waste resources, and their entire army was barreling down on them.
Oliver raised a hand.
"Archers! Shields!"
His army readied themselves while Oliver created his ice arrows.
He watched the distance close in on them.
"Fire!"
The first attack was launched. War had begun.
As the arrows landed, the Ravager line buckled. However, a few harsh words from Yonsu made them fill in the spaces again. A jolt of magic vibrated through the army, and elemental attacks materialized and launched toward Oliver.
"Shields!"
The priests generated their light shields and met with magical attacks. Groans and cries ripped through their lines while they tried to block the multitude of attacks. Some priests fell, and gaps opened; the magic cut through some of their lines.
"Forward!" Oliver ordered.
He and Draco led the charge, rushing toward the Ravagers. The yells from both sides mingled together.
Oliver drew his swords as he rode into the enemy line. The two armies clashed, and the sound of weapons and armor colliding roared, boiling his blood with the song of battle.
He swiped his sword downwards, cutting through two men. He pulled back his arm and swung across, claiming another head.
A column of orange fire raced toward him, but he ducked to avoid it. His skin sizzled as it passed over his back. He swung his sword, and thin pieces of ice in the shape of fans rotated in the air. The fans flew into the Ravager army, cutting through several men.
Another wave of magic attack rushed toward him. He quickly created an ice shield to block it, but the force was powerful. He grunted and felt himself slip a little from the saddle.
He swung his legs and dismounted. His stead, Boreas, continued to tramble the men under his feet. Oliver couldn't keep watching him and focused on the new battle. He was surrounded, but this didn't matter to him.
He lowered himself in an attack stance. One sword was behind him, while the other was held low in front of him.
He smirked when his enemies rushed toward him.
He had held himself back for a while, but it was time to let go. He twisted his body, letting his blades fan out, slicing three of his attackers. He stepped to the side, and his sword impaled another man.
Another swipe. Another slash. Each swing of his blade meant another man died.
He danced past their attacks, stepping around their weapons. His steps blended and merged, making him look like a specter amid blood and death.
More bodies fell around him. However, the white swords still gleamed. Not a single drop of blood could cling to it.
Oliver cut down a Cinderwolf that was heading toward him. He jumped on the large body and looked over the heads of the Ravagers. The armies fought and clashed. Their infantry was breaching into the center behind him. The sides of the Ravagers were winging inward, trying to wedge Oliver's army. However, this is what he wanted. He looked backward toward Imran and Antony, standing on the sideline with the cavalry.
Imran would know when to lead them into the fray and start collapsing the outside of Yonsu's army.
Oliver felt a fluctuation of magic.
"Shields!" He roared over the sound of battle.
The priests responded immediately, and their shields covered the army. Oliver clenched his jaw and erected his ice shield. The magical attacks rained down on them, and Oliver fell to his knee from the pressure. His shield cracked and fell apart. Oliver uses his arms to block the remaining attacks.
They hit him like a hammer, and he flew off the Cinderwolf and landed heavily on the ground. His ears were ringing, and he was disoriented. He suddenly missed fighting with just swords and the occasional holy magic shield. Anticipating and guarding against magic attacks was a pain in the ass.
He shook his head, trying to clear the muddleness, and groaned. He climbed back to his feet to block the attacks from the Ravager's swords.
His armor was already brittle, and the magic made it as delicate as eggshells. A sword scraped across his chest piece, and it cracked before it broke to pieces. He clashed his arm guards together, and they crumbled to the ground. His shirt billowed behind him now that it was free of armor. However, he was in a dangerous situation with the blades flying too close.
Oliver circulated his magic, forcing the ice to start covering his skin. However, he wanted it to be flexible, so he copied Draco's scales. Soon, white iced scales wrapped Oliver's arms and chest, creeping up his neck.
A sword scraped across the ice with a creak but did not break. Oliver smirked and cut his blade against his opponent's neck, staining his ice armor with blood.
He rushed back to the pile of corpses and watched the battle progress from the high ground. He yelled a few commands to tighten the center.
The Ravagers were collapsing the in the middle, but their flanks were trying to attack the sides of his army. However, they should have paid attention to the cavalry. Imran yelled a command, and both cavalries rushed toward the wings of the Ravager army. The cavalry enveloped them, cutting off any means of retreat.
Oliver didn't allow his soldiers to let up. He couldn't let this battle drag on over the years. He wanted to end it here. All they needed to do was kill Yonsu.
He blocked a couple more attacks, and his eyes scanned over the army, trying to find that deplorable man. However, when he was searching, he noticed back of the Ravager army was gathering for something. Only a few Taotie Orbs remained after their attack, and the magicians in the back had them in hand.
A strong magic was brewing.
Draco jumped onto the pile of corpses next to Oliver. His jaw clenched when he saw the magicians as well.
"I got it," he said quietly. He reached out and caressed Oliver's cheek. "Don't get injured."
"Be careful," Oliver responded, trying to hold back his anxiety as Draco turned and rushed into the enemy line. He had to trust him.
Oliver swung his sword a few times to kill a couple more Ravagers who got too close, but most tried to avoid him. Either they felt the biting cold of his armor or the sting of his blade.
A roar made the Ravagers stumble, and a large black dragon emerged within their ranks. Ravagers cried and screamed in pain as the dragon crushed them underfoot.
Draco flapped his wings and took off into the sky, rushing toward the magicians.
The Ravagers noticed his fast approach and slung their attacks his way. Oliver created large spears of ice and intercepted as many spells as possible. Draco huffed, and a large column of flames burst from his throat, swallowing the remaining attacks.
The Ravagers tried to coordinate their attacks, but Draco dove from the sky and ripped apart their lines.
The center of the Ravager army had completely collapsed around Oliver. The sides were being whittled down by their cavalry. The large and furious dragon decimated their backlines.
Oliver continued to scan the battlefield. Their victory was so close, but he knew better than to relax. This was the moment they needed to drive forwards.
"Do not relent! Continue to push forward!" His voice bellowed over the moans and cries of the wounded and dying.
He turned to join the fray but cursed and used his swords the block.
Yonsu's sword crashed into his blades, and Oliver fell backward. He caught himself and shifted his weight to allow him to launch forward to Yonsu.
Their swords clashed and rang out. Oliver spun, and his foot caught Yonsu's chest, pushing him down.
Yonsu snarled. "Bastard! I should have killed you in that cage!"
"You should have," Oliver said while panting. He had fought numerous foes in this battle, and his magic was near spent. His ice armor now just covered his chest and back. "The only way you could beat me was if I was locked up and chained. You could never contend."
Yonsu yelled, pushing himself up, and tried to attack Oliver again. However, unlike before, his attacks were wild and sloppy. His eyes were frantic. The insanity was saturated in his mind. He was no longer the Ravager King who manipulated all of the realms.
He was less than a shell of himself.
"I'll kill you! If I kill you now, perhaps I can still make my wish." He swung his sword, but Oliver easily evaded it. "I won't let you steal it again."
"There are no more wishes to make. The magic has been spent, Yonsu." Oliver spoke to him as he would a child. "The only thing we can do is change our fates with the magic remaining in the world."
"No!" He screamed like he was in pain.
Oliver sighed and lowered his swords a little. "It's almost a shame to see how easily your mind unraveled."
He hadn't even experienced the torture Oliver had suffered through. But then again, Yonsu was the kind of person who sought power through wishes. He never made an effort to obtain it on through effort.
He dressed up his desires with pretty words of soaring in the sky and freeing his people—but in the end, his own gluttony for power drove him.
Yonsu staggered. "Fight me! Fight me, Ghost!"
Oliver shook his head. "I am not the one who will kill you today."
Yonsu glared with bleeding eyes. "No? Then who do I face?"
"Me," Draco's talons wrapped around Yonsu's neck. His voice was a monstrous growl, dragon more than man. "I will be killing you today, Ravager King."