Two days later, the group passed into Garhemia, now wearing disguises rather than armor. The general figured that looking normal would give them more protection than a breastplate.
Since they began the final rush, none of them had really spoken. In fact, the only words that the general had said since Ingred left were only ones related to the invasion... battle plans, as most would call them. It wasn't because anyone was angry. No. It was because there were barely any words left to say, especially with the end of their mission so close.
The only thing worth saying, a question, was one that all of the soldiers knew their general would never answer. He had told them he had sent Iris home due to awful reasons... well, why? That's what they wanted to know. What could be so terrible for Zayn to send the rogue home?
Ra wondered if Elliot Gwenneth had died. After all, the rogue had cared a lot about him. That was clear.
As the group looked around, they noticed that Garhemia looked different from Eldia, even if it was on the border. After they were in a good bit, they all noticed that they had reached a large plain. One that seemed to stretch on forever. This unnerved the general a bit, as he was used to forested regions.
The main thing everyone noticed was that it was quiet. Very quiet, aside from the galloping horses. It was as if no one else was alive in the entire world.
"Are we sure we're in the right spot, General?" Ra asked after a while of riding along the lonely land, somewhat worried, "This looks... abandoned."
"As far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing," Zayn answered, "But we are definitely in the right place. Here in a little while you'll begin to see buildings and people. I can tell that from the maps I have been given. Be on your guard."
"So you know exactly how to get there?"
"Yes."
The group chose to believe his words, after all, he had not led them astray yet. No one said anything. Time passed. After a while, Zayn's words were proved true. Buildings were now apparent in the far distance. From what they could tell, the buildings they could see were part of a metropolis type area. It would take at least another hour of travel to really discern the details of the area.
"I'm surprised they don't have outlying villages," Shen commented.
"They did," the general said simply.
"What happened to them?"
"This war is not the first the Eldians ever had with Garhemians," Zayn mentioned, "In the last war with this country, the villages out here were destroyed. I guess they've cleaned up all the mess from it by now."
Truth be told, Zayn was glad for the silence that followed afterward. He didn't know much about the war that happened between the two before so he knew he wouldn't be able to answer many questions about it. Zayn's mind strayed from the topic though... from the war to Wallfront. He had not expected so much to happen there. He, in a sense, wished he'd have just kept his mouth shut. He hadn't expected for stress to override his senses as they had and cause him to screw up as badly as he did.
But he couldn't change it.
And if he could, well, he might go back and change it. Even though his ending with her was not a happy one --at least it was that. A set ending. If he'd never told her, he'd eventually have to say goodbye... yes. But it would be to Ingred. They would have nodded -maybe shook hands- in finality and parted ways forever. And that, that was not an end. No. It was because he knew that he wouldn't let it be. Why? Because there would always feel like there was something missing and, being the way he was, he'd be desperate to fill in the holes. But... well, then, he couldn't.
With a sigh, he pressed his horse to go a little faster. In all honesty, he just wanted to see this mission done.
This adventure had done numbers on his body and his soul and he was just ready to sit back for a while and just breathe.
----
"General?" Shen's voice broke through Zayn's thoughts close to a half an hour later.
His head snapped back to Shen, a little startled.
"Yes?" he asked.
Shen said nothing, but just pointed somewhere to the left. The general's eyes followed the archer's finger. At first, he saw nothing. But then... as he squinted, he saw seven figures approaching... and rather quickly too. He wondered both how Shen's eyes had caught something so far away and who it was that was riding towards them.
"Stay cautious," he commanded in a low tone, turning his horse toward the people, "We can't trust anyone here."
Everyone stopped and fell in line behind Zayn's horse.
The figures got closer and closer to them. Eventually, they were able to make out their appearances. There were six Token soldiers all following behind a man wearing what appeared to be a nice looking grey robe. As soon as they were close to the scouting group... they slowed their charging horses to a stop.
"Ah," the man in the robe said, leaping from his horse, "Hello."
His hair was pale blonde, pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.
"Greetings," Zayn did his best to sound normal. After all, he had no time to deal with trouble, as his main focus was Erodyne.
"We don't see many people travelling the plains," the blonde man said, and the general could tell that this must be a noble man. Even without hearing many words from the man, it was already apparent by the way he spoke the words that he was very charismatic. Zayn got down from his horse as well.
"Oh really?" Zayn asked.
"Quite," the blonde man smiled, "What is your name? And your business? I apologize, we simply have to stop everyone that passes through."
"Kyhel," Zayn lied smoothly, "And we're simple travelers. And you?"
"I am Redon," he answered, "And I search for people, in sort."
"Oh?"
"Yes," Redon said, "That is what I do. With the war going on with Eldia... there are a certain few people that we don't wish to slip across our borders. You should know this. I, and my fellow soldiers here, were hired by Tokenmaster Maug-Rin to scour the plains for... well, outlaws. So far... we've seen none."
"How do you know which people to catch?"
"Ah, we are given sketches," Redon told him, "Drawn by our own spies. They're quite good ones too."
"I see," Zayn said, getting closer to his horse, "Well, if that is your job, then I have nothing to offer you. If you do not mind, I and my friends will be on our way."
The general got back on his horse. Redon did the same. The general was somewhat shocked that he and the group had not been recognized. For a second, he wondered exactly what game Erodyne was playing. After Zayn turned to start moving forward again, the blonde man cleared his throat. The general stopped in response... but did not turn to face Redon and the band of Token soldiers.
"Yes?"
"Are you sure you having nothing for me?" he asked, pulling out a piece of parchment and smirking, "After all, perhaps you have seen a person I seek. I have not caught an Eldian yet... but I hear that a very certain one is headed toward Garhemia. If that is so, I guess that he will be here within the next few days."
"Who?"
"Or perhaps you know him personally... General Rothstead."
Then, Redon turned the paper around to reveal to the group a sketch of Zayn.
Zayn's heart picked up in his chest and he turned around quickly to face the soldiers. He had hoped that they weren't searching for him. He was actually surprised that they were. Erodyne had invited him here, anyways. He'd been scammed.
He knew now that the group had no hope of evading a fight here. But what he didn't know was that when he turned around, he would be taken out of the fight before it even started. What stopped him... was a dagger. A single small blade. One that had been thrown at him.
It imbedded itself deep into his abdomen, causing him to grunt in pain.
"General!" one of his men shouted at him a second later.
Zayn couldn't tell who had shouted through the sudden wave of dizziness that had hit him. The general simply stared down at the pommel of the blade with a hazy look. Blood began to coat his tunic. With furrowed brows, he simply pulled the blade from his stomach. And then, the wound poured blood even faster... like a spring.
And then he realized he couldn't see.
No. Nothing. Just black. Or was it white? He no longer could differentiate.
He was falling beneath the surface. He was drowning in water. Murky water. He couldn't keep his head up for some reason. Where was his strength? He just floated down helplessly. He couldn't shout. Couldn't call out for help...
...couldn't even breathe.
He wondered if he was dying. He wondered if Iris would have saved him had she been here. Even so, he didn't regret saving her. He smiled under the water, knowing that at least she would be okay.
And then... he looked up above him.
He saw a light.
----
The group watched as their general fell from his horse.
Redon simply smirked.
Ra was the first to charge. With a bold shout, his horse flew toward the robed man. The warrior was weaponless at the moment, what with his weapon being tightly strapped to his horse... so when he was close enough, he leapt and tackled the blonde man off his own stallion. Everyone was surprised at Ra's action. No one could react, not even the scouting group, as the warrior snapped Redon's neck with his bare hands.
And then... when the shock of two fallen leaders faded, the soldiers charged each other. It was clumsy on the Eldian half at first, as they had to retrieve their weapons quickly. But after that... battle ensued.
Jehrth and Shen launched arrows at two of the soldiers, dropping them almost instantly. The others however, fought hard against Dregar and Ra. Dregar was able to use tactic and hold them off by means of chase while Ra got back on his horse. And then, after securing his axe, Ra charged the Tokens from behind.
Another Token dropped from an arrow.
When Ra was close enough, he noticed that Dregar was already hurt due to being in disguise. With a mighty swing of his axe, Ra cracked one of them in the back, causing him to fall. With a low swing, the warrior hit the fallen Token again, ensuring his death. Dregar took a hit from a spear.
Blood poured from his arm.
It didn't take long to kill the other two. No one celebrated the victory though. No. Even though these Tokens weren't trained as well as they were, they had still gotten their job done. General Zayn now laid in a puddle of his own blood. Shen and Jehrth were the first at his side. Shen turned Zayn's body over.
"Oh gods," he said, covering the deep wound with his palm.
Dregar leaped down and fumbled in one of his saddlebags. After a second, he pulled out some bandages, which were quickly wrapped around the general's belly. Everyone knew though that the bandages were most likely futile.
The wound was too deep.
Too severe.
"General!" Ra was the last to get there.
There was no response from the general. There wasn't even any movement. No fluttering of his eyelids... not even a twitch in his fingers. All the men were somber. Shen put two fingers on his neck. "The beats slow. Really slow."
"Load his body on his horse," Dregar said after a while, "Load him carefully. We need to press on. A least to the nearest village. Maybe he'll make it to then." None of them had reason to believe that he would.
The group wordlessly did as the swordsman commanded. When Zayn's body was secure and roped down on his horse... they all climbed up on theirs. Everyone had tears in their eyes, even though they were strong soldiers.
"He didn't deserve to die," Ra mentioned quietly, "not like this. What are we going to do?"
"If we lose him, we still finish the mission," Dregar answered, grabbing the general's map from his horse and observing it, "or this will have all been for nothing. Come, we have to hurry. Hurry and pray hard to the gods."
And so they did.