Chapter 50: The Night Before the Battle

 

The Ak'hims worked their best during the past three days. The seven armies and reserves all worked together as one cohesive unit. Evacuated whatever they could, secured whatever they could and ultimately, prepared themselves the best they could. Even throughout the night of the third day, one could see scores of Ak'hims still preparing for the upcoming battle. Red glowing eyes could be seen all over the camp, illuminated by the moonlight. 

Despite their hopeless situation, despite their imminent doom and the possibility that anyone could die within the next twenty-four hours, the camp remained a calm and somewhat soothing atmosphere. If one looked closely, one could see certain groups laughing out like normal, like they usually do— making jokes and having fun. It wasn't that nobody was afraid. They were. But everyone was acting strong for each other.

Klauna viewed this sight from the top of a building with an emotionless stare on her face. Contrary to the others that night… Klauna couldn’t feel anything. She couldn’t feel the despair, the hope— nothing. Her mind was shrouded by thoughts; what she plans to do in the future, what the enemy will be doing and thoughts about her subordinates. This was countered by the fact that she would just stop thinking for a while to observe the camp, but her mind soon went back into thinking as soon as she let her guard down.

She didn’t want to feel anything. She didn’t want to think about anything. It’s times like this where she cursed her unending mind. It’s times like this where she wished she had a bottle of liquor to muddle her thoughts— to just pass time quietly like she always has. Her mind kept asking about the illogical movements of the Alliance. She kept trying to find answers within herself, consulting her plethora of knowledge she gained over the years.

How does the Alliance field so many soldiers to the battlefield? They were fielding hundreds of thousands of soldiers in enemy territory for an extended amount of time, constantly pushing forward and claiming lands, constantly taking loses and constantly under the retaliation of the locals.

‘Did they not suffer attrition?’ Klauna thought to herself. Her original plan was to keep hitting them hard where it hits the most: their manpower, their morale, their supply lines, and their logistic capabilities. By right, they shouldn’t be able to push forward while maintaining their numbers without these major components in their war machine. 

Hit them hard enough, and they will eventually fold and leave them alone. The enemy cannot have many soldiers left. Yet, on the map was the unending waves of soldiers coming towards them.

Klauna could not comprehend how the Alliance had yet to break. Supplies and logistics wise aside, she especially couldn’t understand how they have yet to break mentally. The Ak’hims killed a lot of them no doubt. Even killed some of their leaders, yet they remain strong as ever. No, they have even gotten stronger.

Ignoring the thoughts about the enemy, Klauna looked towards the encampment. Her subordinates were walking around and preparing themselves to execute her plan. All of them had a look of confidence, knowing that Klauna’s plan would succeed and bring them victory. Their confidence was misplaced as Klauna didn’t believe for a second that they could win. Yet, Klauna couldn’t bring herself to tell them that there was no chance of winning— to disappoint them.

“...What would you do in this situation, Senior Shia?” She muttered to herself.

What would the person who thought Klauna how to learn do in this situation? What would the person who abandoned her do differently? What did the person who saddle Klauna with that accursed promise want her to do? Klauna clicked her tongue before clearing her mind again. She looked, once again, at the encampment with an expressionless face.

And the cycle continues. An unending cycle of thinking and clearing her mind.

....

“Couldn’t sleep?” A woman’s voice came up to Klauna as she struggled within herself. She could hear the sound of wings flapping.

Turning around to look at the source, Klauna found herself face to face to the person only known as Leida. She was slowly descending from the air to the top of the roof, next to Klauna. She then threw an apple towards Klauna which she caught easily.

Looking towards the apple in her hands, Klauna let out a confused look before replying. “I’m not sleepy.”

“Of course you aren’t. I guess you are like them as well, huh?” 

Leida looked towards a medium-sized group of people just talking around a small campfire. They were relaxing and just having conversations with each other now that preparations were done. “Just savouring the last moments they have before the big battle.”

“...Why are you here? Anything important happened?” Klauna asked, having her eyes focused on the group of people, as well. 

Leida brought her hands to her hip and let out a dissatisfied look. “You got to knock off that pessimistic attitude, you know.  Why assume I am here to deliver bad news? I’m just flying around in the moonlight when I saw you up here. Just thought I would check out how you are doing.”

“I see,” Klauna replied. Her eyes then squinted to view the people by the campfire. Looking closer, one could tell it was mostly the members of the Seventh Army, with officers from the other armies. This included Aberanis, Shieska, Vargus, Saladis and their officers. Harbin was in the middle, performing a sort of magic trick to everyone.

Klauna and Leida both viewed the young Analyst performing her trick. She dropped the grimoire to the floor before pulling out some sort of orb from the pages. The orb then changed into small projections of a story. Klauna couldn’t tell from this distance, but she could see a city and an ocean within one of the images. Everyone at the campfire looked in with interesting faces, applauding her occasionally when she does something cool with the projections.

“She’s quite the talented one huh?” Leida said, amazed at her prowess in using magic.

“...” Klauna didn’t reply and only kept looking.

“I heard the other day that she was just a few years younger than Star. To think she could already accomplish such a feat at such a young age. I wonder when is her coming of age? Not that Star is anything to scoff at though,” Leida let out a small laugh.

“...um. Yeah, she’s a pretty talented person.” Klauna said with a flat tone. Though Leida did not miss the subtle but small smile on her face.

“I heard she’s a pretty good strategist herself too. The only thing she lacks is confidence and experience. Give her time to develop and I’m sure she’ll be a great person. There could be a chance that she will end up stronger than both of us,” Leida said with a smile.

“...”

Seeing no replies from Klauna, Leida let out a sigh. “...Or maybe not. I don’t think she’ll be able to beat either of us. But she might end up being a better strategist than me. Heck, maybe even you. I heard about it, you know? About how she’s winning over you in that liquor war. A pretty funny game you two are playing in the middle of all this.” 

“She won’t,” Klauna replied with a firm tone.

“... You know… you can be pretty brutal at times… not even a little faith for your trusted subordinate?”

“You misunderstand. Yes, she may be talented. Yes, she may be hardworking. But the way that she is right now. She’ll never be able to surpass me as a strategist.” 

“Why not?”

“She’s too soft. It has nothing to do with her potential. It’s a problem with her personality. It’s something that one cannot change so easily. She’ll be torn apart when the time comes for her to make the hard choices. She cannot make the decisions I can, nor can she think up of the nasty plots that I can. She’ll never be able to beat me with that mindset.”

Klauna then pulled out the apple in her hands to show to Leida. “She’s like this apple. Pure and clean. But it takes a rotten apple to get someone sick. She’s not suited for war.”

“I see…”

Klauna then moved her eyes back to Harbin. “But… there is one thing that she can surpass me in. One that I can never do on her level.” 

“Ohh? And what is that?”

“She can become a much better leader than me. A politician. A person of the people’s heart.” Klauna said as she saw Harbin getting along with the others. Happy smiles were on their faces.

“Hmm. Pretty interesting outlook you have there, but I disagree. Disagree with both your points, Ticah. Your styles are different. That doesn’t mean that either of you cannot surpass each other. There may be things only you can do as a strategist, but there are things she can do that you aren’t aware. She just needs to find that style.”

Klauna broke away from Harbin and looked at Leida, interested in her point of view.

“I also don’t buy that you cannot be a better leader than Harbin. There are things that you can do that you aren’t aware of, Ticah. Even if you are right, you mentioned that it was a personality problem? Well, thoughts and personality can change over time, Ticah. What is to say, you don’t develop a change that makes you a great leader? Last I heard you weren’t leader material either until you started taking over the Seventh Army.”

“...”

“You know…. Everyone respects your decisions more than mine. When I say I have a plan, everyone has this standard face of doubt. But when you say you have a plan? Boy, everyone has this face of relief. You haven’t even told them the plan and yet everyone knew that it’s going to work. Even that Aberanis and Parash take your words seriously. That’s quite admirable if I say so myself.”

Klauna continued to keep silent on the matter.

“I can’t remember how long it has been. All I ever heard of the Analyst crest was that they were weak and useless. That undeserving Analyst crest gets to be called a main crest, while the proud Dragonicias was relegated to a sub crest. That everyone in the Analysts crest will never amount to anything. But you… and that army. You all proved me wrong. Proved everyone wrong. Or at least, what’s left of everyone. You went from nobody bothering to listen to your words at Prashyufa to everyone hoping you have a plan. I think that’s pretty leader material if you ask me.”

Klauna couldn't give a response to Leida’s statement. She just stared at her for a while before looking away. A small smile on her face. “Let’s just agree to disagree then.”

Leida then moved closer to Klauna before bringing out two bottles from beneath her shirt and handing her one. “Sounds like a plan. But then again. I’m just rambling on things that I don’t know about. Let’s not get all too serious and have some relaxing time instead eh?”

With a rather shocked expression, Klauna motioned her arm away to take one of the two bottles 

“Thanks… How did you manage to get this? I thought she destroyed all the liquor in Dragonsmourne?” Klauna asked, genuinely curious at how she managed to obtain the bottles of liquor.

Leida let out a big smirk before giving out a small laugh. “This is my hidden stash. Don’t you act all surprised at this, I know you have your own stash somewhere as well. Harbin may be smart, but she still has ways to go before she could outsmart the both of us."

“Cheers,” Leida taps her bottle against the bottle on Klauna’s hands before taking a sip from the bottle.

Klauna let out another small smile before bringing the bottle up to her lips. “Cheers.”

...

“Say… I don’t like to be that guy. But let’s just say the plan fails and I die. Promise me you’ll take care of them,” Leida said to Klauna, a distant look on her face.

“No,” Klauna responded with a flat tone. One accursed promise was already enough for her to handle.

The two then let out smiles at each other as they drank the night away.