Chapter 13: Eyes Glowing Red
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Sharia was eleven when she first met her master. It was the same age she started fighting in the Great Wars. It was after a battle when one of her kingdoms' generals told her that she is to be trained by someone he trusted. She felt mixed feelings but, still, she followed his instructions and made her way to the battlefield where her master was supposedly at. When she arrived at the camp, she was surprised to see that all the soldiers were still there. She was clearly confused and asked around for her master only for her to be told that they is out fighting.

"You mean to tell me that they were out fighting alone while all of you stay here in camp?" Sharia spat out, her anger rising. At her words, most of the soldiers fell silent. The commander she was talking to, however, grew angry.

"'What would a twelve year old girl know!?" He shouted. Sharia's only response was a snort and to walk away.

She soon found her master out on the battlefield. She could hear the sounds of fighting but saw the bodies first. There were bodies everywhere. Hundreds and maybe even thousands of bodies. A lot of them were broken, bones jutting out of their skin. Others were missing limbs or cut in half. Large cracks were on the ground, like a ravine has opened up. Sharia took a look at one and shuddered when she realized she couldn't see the bottom. Her biggest surprise, however, came from when she laid her eyes on her master for the first time.

'A...a little girl?''

Standing surrounded by thirty soldiers was a little girl wearing a dirty faded one-piece pink dress that could best be described as pajamas a noble would wear. In her hand looked to be a hatchet, only more fitted to be used in battle. It was clear that her weapon is makeshift. Her hair was short and brown, coming down to her neck, but her eyes were glowing red and feral. Unlike Sharia's eyes, this girl's were more like that of a predator. They were the eyes of a wartorn. 

A blush was on the girl's face and her teeth were sharp, yet there was a saddened look in her eyes, like she was disappointed. On her right leg was a sheath with what looked to be a dagger in it. The last detail Sharia noticed about the girl was that she was positively covered from head to toe in blood and had a crazed grin on her face. The soldiers she was facing were Torlendar, an enemy empire. Of course, Sharia at the time didn't know that this girl was her master but all she did know was that she was fighting the enemy. So, Sharia took out her sword and started walking towards the wartorn.

"Do you need help?" She called out to the wartorn. The wartorn perked up and turned her head to look at Sharia. Sharia felt herself be studied under that look even if it was for a second. The moment the girl paid attention to someone else was the moment the Torlendar soldiers attacked her, stabbing at her with their weapons. The wartorn didn't turn around surprised or anything. She just simply jumped. She jumped up high in the air, being around twelve to fourteen feet, before twirling in the air and raised her axe above her head. The enemy soldiers started running but were too slow. The wartorn slammed her axe down on the ground, cracking it and causing a massive shockwave that nearly made Sharia fall. The enemy soldiers were sent flying.

The wartorn wasn't done with them yet. She jumped up after them, leaving her axe and pulling out a curved dagger. It looked like a dagger used in rituals and was shaped like a crescent moon. Before half the soldiers hit the ground, the girl jumped on them and cut them to pieces, splattering blood everywhere. The remaining soldiers got up and started running but they didn't get far. The wartorn ran back to her axe and hit the ground, tearing up rocks. The wartorn then used her axe to launch the rocks at the fleeing soldiers, the rocks tearing through the soldiers' armor and killing them with one hit. Soon, there was no soldier left.

Sharia finally recognized that look in this wartorn's eyes. It was a disappointment. She was sad her fight had to end. Now Sharia knew that wartorn were crazed battle maniacs but, this girl was something else. Still, seeing as Sharia saw no dead kingdom soldiers, Sharia assumed this wartorn was safe for now. Still, there was no telling if this wartorn will turn her axe on the kingdoms' troops.

"Now, tell me what are you?" The wartorn asked, her eyes once again looking at Sharia, "I have never seen a soldier dressed like you, nor one so young. You clearly aren't a wartorn either."

"I am Sharia Airella, a soldier of the kingdoms. General Obastisk sent me to train under High Commander Ai. Do you know where they are?" Sharia asked. 

The wartorn let out a chuckle and was about to say something when her head snapped to her right at a soldier who was still alive. She took out her dagger and quickly attached a rope to it, which looks more like a black string, and launched it at the soldier before the soldier could even realize that he has been spotted. The dagger went right through his neck and when the wartorn pulled the rope attached to her hand back, the dagger took the soldier's head with it. The wartorn opened up her hand to catch the dagger and...

....the dagger flew right past her. The wartorn blinked and turned around and tried it again only for her to miss the dagger a second time. With a growl, the wartorn attempted seven more times until she decided to stomp on the severed head her dagger had on to get it off and pick up the dagger from the ground. Sharia didn't know what to think of this so she decided not to say anything.

"Anyway," the wartorn said, taking off the rope and sheathing her dagger, "I improve."

"Pardon?" Sharia asked. Improve what?

The wartorn walked over to Sharia and, because she was standing on the top of a body, was able to poke Sharia on her nose, even though she still had to be on her tippy toes in order to do so.

"Hi, my name is Ai, Black High Commander of the kingdoms. I accept you," Ai told Sharia, a smug look on her face, though Sharia thought it was more teasing than smug.

"Wait! A wartorn is my master? I'm sorry but I can't smash the ground and cause a ravine to form or have weapons that weigh more than a castle," Sharia muttered to herself, though she wasn't trying to hide what she said. Ai's smile grew.

"Don't you worry! I am actually skilled in combat. By the end of your training, I'll make your eyes glow too. I promise."

 

........

 

Sharia couldn't help but remember that promise at the scene in front of her. It has been one year since Sharia has been a disciple of Ai and she has learned many things about her master. Her master is very young, being only three years old when Sharia first met her. Apparently, Ai had seen Sharia before in battle and had taken a liking to her.

Another thing is that Ai is on a mission to find her mother's killer. Of course, there was one thing that Sharia didn't quite know how to feel about. Ai did not question orders as long as they didn't directly harm her. Which was, as of right now, was to capture a bunch of civilians fleeing from the fall of an annoying empire that has been bothering the kingdoms for a while. Although the empire was gone, the kingdoms wanted to make sure that the tactics the empire used could never be used again. So, Obastisk was ordered to handle it. The fighting was brutal since they ran into an enemy force of another empire. Finally, they were able to complete their mission.

High General Obastisk, Black High Commander Ai, and Commander Sharia were facing the twenty or so families that fled the empire. They had no idea what to do with them now so they waited for orders to come. It took them a while but they finally got orders. Instead of reading them first, the two commanders and general rounded up the families. With everyone here, a messenger came over and handed Obastisk his orders. Obastisk opened it up and read it...and frowned. 

He handed the message to Ai and Sharia who read it once.

 

Kill them all.

 

Ai got up and studied the families before turning and whispered something to Obastisk, who, after meeting Ai's eyes, nodded. Ai took out her axe and made her way to the families. Sharia, after a bit of hesitation, followed suit, unsheathing her sword. Ai waved at the guards and they pulled out their swords. The captives started panicking at this point, their mothers comforting their children. Ai paid that no mind and walked over to one mother with a female child with long and thick dirty blond hair. Ai studied the child before chuckling.

"Surrender completely and let your children become soldiers."

Sharia froze at that and everyone seemed shocked as well. Sharia, who thought she knew a lot about her master and has never seen her give mercy to an enemy before, could not get the reason why her master was doing this.

"W-why would we-?"

The mother could not finish her protest before Ai cracked her skull open with her axe, the body dropping to the floor. Ai waited patiently for the screams to die down and looked at the captives, her eyes hard to read.

"I'm waiting," Ai said in a sing-song voice, a small smile forming on her face. 

The captives quickly agreed and no one else was killed. Sharia looked at High Genera Obastisk, who looked relieved, before sighing. She knew her master, Ai, wasn't a good person. Ai was a child with barely any morals. Yet, maybe, seeing what her master did right now, she does have some morals Sharia just doesn't know about. Sharia will have to ask her to teach her all about her morals later. Then again, the morals her master has will never stick with Sharia, despite that funny feeling she had.

 

________

 

Sharia was a warmonger, and she knew it. Of course, that won't stop her. Facing the enemies in front of her, that Alliance Of Oats or whatever, Sharia had no regret. Why would she? She worked constantly trying to get the kingdoms to fight against the pesky alliance that will become a threat in the future. The kingdoms were too lazy at first since the alliance didn't pose a "true threat". So, Sharia improvised. She lured the alliance in and made the kingdoms see that they are a threat. Sure, it cost a few thousand good soldiers and some vital forts but, in the long run, and with her army, those losses won't go to waste. 

"I must say, Sharia, you really did outdo yourself with this one," Ai praised her, walking up next to her. She was in her battle-wear, a black and red shrine maiden like outfit. 

"Thanks, master!" Sharia replied cheerfully. Well, not all that cheerfully. She was worried about the kingdoms. They used to know when to strike at threats before they got the chance to grow. What happened? 

'Well, it doesn't matter. As long as me and Ai are here, we'll make sure the kingdoms never grow weak!'

Sharia let out a giggle before pointing her sword at the approaching army. Her enemies shuddered at her sight. They only know her as  Black Reaper, an enemy whose eyes glow red despite not being a wartorn.

 

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