“The princess regent of Daghum committed the most ridiculous thing during a war. Hmm, never have expected that,” Marco casually commented as his eyes travel meters towards the enemies’ side.
It’s almost set. Only a few more hours and the sun will be buried in the east, the signal for them to attack.
“For now, we should leave her case for tomorrow. We have a problem that much needed our attention than hers. Do you two have something in mind?” I questioned them.
Mayari talked and pointed Daghum’s army on the far corner of the frontier’s first line of defense. “What happens to them? I don’t think they will be under our control, now that their commander had left.”
“Do we tell them their commander committed treason?”
I shook my head, “Deianira left without getting what she really needs from us.” From my pocket, I took out the falcon emblem I got from her. “She needs the plan we have. Perhaps the quarrel you had with her helped to divert her attention.”
Marco sneered and smirked, still staring at the enemies’ side. “What can I do? I’m born a useful Adonis.”
“More like a luck-dependant Casanova.”
“Ergghh?” Marco protested and turned to Mayari which I quickly step in my rapier between them.
“Stop it.” Both of them turned in my direction. “Daghum’s army isn’t reliable at this moment. Queen Louisan holds one of the highest positions in the Senate. It isn’t that easy to betray such a large congress.”
“And as we can see, they have the largest group. A thousand and three,” Mayari added.
“Then what will we do?” Marco posed that he later then let out a frightening smile. “We need to discover if they’re into treachery then.”
Mayari smirked and tilted her head, “I’m in.”
“So, shall we say we are now formulating a plan?” I pressed, playing the falcon emblem on my fingers.
*****

“Commander Deianira Deltran was summoned by the Queen in an unexpected circumstance. I hereby announce my presence here to take over Daghum’s military in substitute.”
Afore me was a total of a thousand and three hundred vampire soldiers. Such a number is enough to cause suspicion. I know Louisan wanted to end the Senate, but at what reason? She now wouldn’t use the name Larina as an excuse this time.
“Now that the enemy we expected had arrived, I want to give out the plan we all have agreed on.” I extended my arms and signaled someone to bring the map over. Attached to two poles, it spread widely as they unrolled it. Revealing the map of Abberant.
“Right where we stand is the battleground’s first line of defense. Dome shape as it is. Having the greatest number, I want you to stay and be the foremost defense.”
Explaining further and enough for them to understand, comes the sun sinking down in a matter of seconds. Daghum military didn’t waste any more time and stationed themselves at the field as the bombs from the other side lighted the sky. Nothing suspicious as of now.
Mayari and Marco had agreed not to put forth a combat attack. At this start, we have to rely on artillery, especially since we have a diverted group whom we still couldn’t segregate.
I grabbed onto the handgun and blasted a bullet into the sky. Then a series of continuous rattling shattered the silence. Followed by flaming arrows that lighted the dark sky.
“Now,” I voiced and light from the burned torches appeared between Mayari’s platoon and Daghum’s military.
Marco on the second defense countered the enemies’ attacks with the triple-mouth cannons while us standing on the first line halted the minor firings, causing for the entire army of Daghum to look around and gape at each other confusedly.
“Whose orders do you follow?” I started, making my expression the most ferocious I can. “Deianira Deltran turned her back against us and now under someone’s command who is somewhat beside the Senate.”
I stepped further and intertwined my hands at my back with my face giving each and every heads a terrifying look.
“In front was the field of death, and behind… were warriors willing to kill every last soldier of your team. You have nothing to go if you want to escape,” I threatened. “So, to anyone still keeping his loyalty to Daghum’s Princess Deianira Deltran… I’m giving you the honor to die heroically!”
Two from Mayari’s platoon opened the exit from the barrier we set up and the other wolves from Sanguine pushed them to head the exit. On their face creeps horror and stunned shut as they move with the flow, getting out of the barrier to face their deaths unconsciously.
“Nobody’s going to surrender? Keep it all to yourselves then!” I nagged, making the wolves drive them out at a speed that almost a quarter of them are now out and being shot by the enemies.
Others tried to fight and others made up their mind to dash out of the barrier on their own. Creating chaos and rumble. All of them are really under Deianira. I guess we have to get all of them out. That way, we can—
“General Gaia!” shouts someone from the crowd.
I raised my hand, halting the action. “Close the barrier!”
The opened exit was closed, stoping further push. That someone who caught up my attention enough to stop the planned annihilation. “Your words are limited, make sure it’s enough to spare your life.”
“The princess…” he started hesitatingly that I snap my fingers for every count I make.
“Ten… nine… eight—”
“She forced us to turn our back against the alliance and to the kingdom of Daghum in exchange for our families to break free from the Amunabon curse!”
A soldier in red armor stood up and walked out of the crowd. His head wears a metal helmet and on her hand was the second-in-command badge, the felis crest, in which he threw it forth to my direction.
“The Princess guaranteed our freedom… and every right we deserve. That’s what she told us,” he added.
“The curse of Amunabon came from the Senate. Why did you think treachery would solve the problem?” I answered and paced a few steps towards him. “Being that the curse was from the Senate, didn’t you think about it that it may weaken or perhaps disappear if we instantly defeat the roots?”
Then silence inside the station reigned. Not until the soldier thrusts his sword on the ground and slashed his hand onto it. Dripping blood on his silver badge as he spoke words solemnly. “I admit we truly committed a hideous crime of treachery. For such we accept the consequences of our mistakes, but I plead the general Gaia to spare us this time.”
His head raised and his diligent eyes filled with determination met mine.
“And let us face the battle we yearn for years. Let us, the soldiers of Daghum, clasp justice and freedom from the Senate.”
With that, a victorious smile was painted on my lips as I lifted my hand and slashed a cut. Dripping my blood on the same felis crest.
“The thing I hated the most is having someone on my side betray and leave without an unacceptable reason. Don’t fail your own words,” I replied and picked up the falcon emblem from my pocket and pinned it on his chest. “Commander Tadashi.”
“General, the barrier!” Mayari yelled in a disturbance.
Causing my eyes to quickly roam across the temporary and noticed it fading away. Allowing the dashing arrows and bullets to enter our site. I annoyedly gritted my teeth and ran back to my post.
“Everyone! Defend the first line, we only have a common enemy!” I ordered in full authority as my eyes narrowed and travel the distance laid between us and the army of Pinansey-angan.
With the green flare from my signal, the remaining cannonballs allotted for the first half were fired from Mayari’s company.
“Forces of Daghum! We hold artillery and to every strike we hit, we only have one aim!” Pulling the string of the Rasa bow, my eyes narrowed even more as its metallic body twinkled the second the moonlight struck from above, my blood flows continually following the bow’s definite curves.
“And we show no mercy,” I uttered, emphasizing every word that I mean it with no hesitancy.
The edge of the arrow arrayed from every Daghum’s soldier ignited with horrifying flames. And from the moment I released mine, a total of a thousand arrows dashed through the dark sky from the remaining thousand soldiers of Daghum.
Daghum was armed with bows and arrows, riffles and bullets, and rapiers with a series of daggers. Whilst Mayari’s platoon holds the three-mouthed and single-headed cannons, and on their side slides their hidden weapons.
Behind, lies the squad’s last resort in case the first defense breaks. The second line of defense was held by Marco’s pack warriors, armed with the most number of rifles, cannons, and bombs. The reserve power we have, a backup team shall it be?