NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30: Turning Point
An eerie atmosphere was reigning at the border of the capital, just as the Imperial army assembled at the very outskirts to meet their enemies, who had already gained far too much ground and almost unhindered passage through the border.
The Norin kingdom had used each and every last of its reserves that its military still had to offer, resulting in a sizable force that was taking position not far away from the Imperial troops. Amaragi stared at their opponents, regarding them with narrowed eyes as she observed their ranks.
"It seems Glenrock's forces have not arrived yet… we must take caution, once they do, we must be prepared to fight on two separate lines. But it will also be to our advantage. Our army outnumbers them by far, and should the Norians be caught in the fray with Glenrock's soldiers as well, then it will be our chance to defeat them both." Amaragi's attire flowed slightly in the wind, and her hand clenched together in determination.
"That's the spirit, we will not let any of them pass, come what may." Namagi had joined her side with her large saber leaning against her shoulder, prepared to face anything that was about to be thrown at them. The Emperor himself had not moved outside of his palace… but they did not fight for him. They would fight for the people behind these walls who could not protect themselves from the grasp of war, and they would fight for the place they called home, to protect those who mattered the most to them.
And thus, it was Amaragi who suddenly turned to face Maren, who was more than ready just like everyone else to do his part to defend the capital. But not just him, her sister as well.
"Promise me… that you will not fall, that you will be here once this is all over… promise me this." in that moment, Maren suddenly faltered slightly in his resolve, for in her eyes, there was a deep sense of desperation glimmering beneath the surface. She meant it. And even if she said nothing further, her hand was almost trembling.
"I promise." with a tilt of his head, Maren smiled at her with closed eyes. When she witnessed this, Amaragi couldn't do otherwise but to savor that image, burning it into her mind. And before long, it eased her heart, if only slightly.
Albeit beneath that smile, Maren knew that he could not promise anything. And he was sure that Amaragi knew this as well… but still she wanted to hear it from him.
"... thank you…"
It was one of the last brief things they could exchange before an Imperial commander approached them, bowing deeply in front of them.
"Your highness, the enemy is in formation and will no doubt approach at any moment. What are your orders?" Amaragi's expression hardened, and both Maren and Namagi regarded her expectantly as well, only waiting for her to give the order.
"Advance."
With a swift nod, the commander rose from the ground and spread the order, and before long, the entire army raised their lances into the air with an esteemed battle cry just as Amaragi took her position at the very front of their troops, drawing her blade.
And with that, it began.
Both sides launched their attack, two grand armies charged at one another, and the first lines of soldiers at the front clashed steel with their opponents, followed by many others. Right amidst the fray, Amaragi was almost cutting through her opponents, displaying a ferocity that Maren had not seen before while he stuck close to her side to guard her back.
She didn't once falter in her position, and in her wake, the cries of the unfortunate Norians who fell to her blade were evident. Even when Maren tried his best to support her, it almost seemed as though she would try to remain at least a little bit in front of him as she fought, internally fighting the urge to steal glances towards her back amidst the fray.
And even then, she seemed to make a conscious effort to remain a fair bit of distance away from the very frontlines. Despite that, the mere presence of the two princesses on the battlefield, especially as Namagi participated at the very front, did more than wonders to raise the moral of the Imperial army, marking them not only as royalty, but as fighters who were ready to sacrifice just as much as every other soldier on the field.
However, Maren did not simply ignore the dead Norians on the ground. He could not, for when he took even a single glance closer at some of the dead bodies, he almost had to force his mind to focus, for even a single moment of hesitation could lead to a quick and sudden death.
There were numerous Norians who were barely wearing fitting armor. Sometimes mere parts of cheap chain mail were covering their upper torso while the rest of their body was only protected by cloth, others could only cling to their daggers as their main weapon before they had died.
And Maren almost shuddered at the thought of who exactly Norin was sending into battle now, or of how desperate the king must be.
For the longest time, the outcome of the battle seemed to become more and more clear, when the resistance of the enemy lines slowly but surely began to cease, and their ranks began to grow smaller. So much so that Amaragi was hoping to finally end the struggle, to begin the last assault with a final push.
But alas, the lift in spirits suddenly came to an end when the Norian soldiers surprisingly began to cheer in utmost confidence and determination, seemingly having increased their morale out of nowhere before they began to push back with even more vigor.
And a single glance among their ranks revealed the reason for this. Their numbers had suddenly increased, considerably. But their reinforcements were not wearing the Norian symbol, far from that. Their yellow banners and flags hinted of an entirely different origin.
Amaragi's eyes were filled with horror at the same time the realization hit her.
The tides were quickly turned, and before long, it was the Imperials who began to struggle against the aggressive onslaught of their new and combined enemy.
Namagi was among the first to properly evaluate the situation anew, and she was no fool when she realized that it was far more grim than she had first anticipated, immediately ordering their troops to fall back and onto the defensive.
Norian and Glenrock soldiers were working together, standing united among the battlefield against them. Thus, shattering any of their expectations and plans, catching them entirely off guard.
Maren's heart was furiously beating against his chest when he witnessed Amaragi's near enough motionless form, immediately grasping her hand to try and force her out of her stupor.
… however, it was in the blink of an eye when he witnessed it in the distance.
A cloaked figure, and the glimmering tip of an arrow being pointed towards Amaragi as a bow was aimed right at her. And the string was released not soon after, triggering Maren to act upon sheer instinct alone.
Warmth. A strong warmth, developing into a piercing heat that began to expand in his entire torso, all until it seemingly began to burn him in whole from within. For the seething pain settled in directly afterwards, and he could feel the warmth trickling down his chest, soaking his armor along with it.
His body never made contact with the ground as he was caught in a pair of arms, just after he had practically shoved himself in front of Amaragi. And he could still recognize her voice faintly when he heard a horrified scream, calling out his name, yet, it seemed to be so far away, so dull to his ears. Slowly but surely, the dull feeling only began to increase, his whole body feeling more and more numb by the second.
Until everything began to blur, and his vision faded away into darkness entirely.
Despair. Horror. Pure and utter dread. Nothing could describe Amaragi's inner feelings as she tentatively held Maren's body close against her own, the arrow now lying on the ground, with her hands all but trembling as she held his head to face her, gently shaking him again and again.
Her fingers curled into his hair, and she shook him, again. She did not even realize when she sank to her knees, her eyes only widening further as she did not receive a response.
"... no…" a shaky whisper, directed only at herself as her surroundings were all but lost to her. Her hold on him almost tightened, fueled by desperation, and she shook him again, again, and again.
Her heart threatened to burst, each heartbeat almost hurting as it pierced her chest. Before long, she lowered her head against him, her ear pressing against his chest as she listened.
And within that moment, amidst the entire battlefield, all the fighting and outcries… everything was eerie silent to her.
There was no… heartbeat…
"... no…!" the moment a drop of his blood trickled down upon her arm, the liveliness within her eyes seemed to fade away. The same glint which accompanied her every smile whenever she was happy, whenever she could laugh, whenever she could enjoy, it faded away without a trace.
Leaving an empty husk. A blank stare.
And something much darker underneath.
Steps approached not far away, yet her gaze was hidden beneath her long, crimson hair that was covering her face as her eyes blankly stared at Maren's lifeless expression.
"Sister, we need to leave, now-" Namagi came to an abrupt halt when she witnessed the scene in front of her, all of it clicking into place at once. However, her eyes narrowed when two Norians approached while her sister remained near enough motionless on the ground, and thus, she charged towards them with a furious strength before she cut them down quicker than they could anticipate.
But there were more. Far more who began to acknowledge the situation the crown princess seemed to be in as they diverted their attention towards them. Namagi gripped her blade tightly as countless thoughts coursed through her mind the moment she took a swift glance back at Amaragi, as well as Maren's lifeless body. All before her eyes diverted back towards the numerous Norians heading their way.
It was a decision made in the blink of an eye. One that acknowledged what would happen if they stayed.
And thus, she retreated before she gripped the arm of her older sister, more or less trying to force Amaragi to move from the ground as Namagi pulled her up.
"Sister, we need to leave and retreat!"
"... no… I will kill them… I will slaughter them all…!" Amaragi's grip upon Maren didn't want to cease, and Namagi almost cursed before she closed her eyes in a silent and hopeful prayer of forgiveness as she grasped her sister's body with all the force she could muster before pulling her along.
"Leave me be! They must pay!" Namagi ignored any and all words, continuing on even despite the struggles of her sister. For this once, she acted as the rational part that had all but died within Amaragi's mind.
And yet, she still prayed for forgiveness.
Both towards her sister… and Maren.
Unbeknownst to her, in just that moment, the cloaked figure calmly approached the motionless body on the ground, slowly kneeling down to inspect the arrow that was lying beside it.
"Milady, the Imperial army is retreating. What is our next move?" a Norian commander approached the scene, bowing slightly before the figure.
"Continue to advance, just as planned."
"Yes, milady. At once." with that, the commander quickly departed, leaving the figure to themselves once more.
At least before their eyes settled back entirely upon Maren, and they wordlessly put their arms beneath his back and legs to lift him off the ground.
Carrying him away from the battlefield.
AN: !glossary update
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