Chapter 43: Congratulations to the General (II).
The young children who were playing outside ca back inside the village running after seeing the great ssenger eagle.
"Hah...! Hah...!" (Mateo), a boy who admired the legendary crimson general yells out into the streets. "The crimson general is coming ho soon!"
Everyone who has heard of the news suddenly turned their heads around, they saw the little boy running with the rest of his friends shouting happily of the sa thing in repeat, the pride and joy of their town is coming ho!
Mateo scaunters off to find his family, he runs leaving dust behind as he gets to his ho. His father and mother were outside talking to their neighbors.
"Everyone! Father, I have great news!" He almost trips but manages to catch himself at the very last mont. "You won’t believe what I saw today!"
His father laughed nervously, as he heard the neighbors chuckle at his excitent. "What is it young lad, you’re panting like a dog who hasn’t drank in days! Calm down."
Mateo did as his father instructed, taking a deep breath to steady his racing heart before speaking again. "I...! Hah...! When I was playing outside, one of the ssenger birds spotted . It had a letter tied to its leg!"
"A letter?" His father’s eyes widened as he glanced at the other villagers. Then, a knowing smile spread across his face. "My word... could it be?"
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Is it our great general’s return?! And just in ti!" soone exclaid, their voice brimming with excitent.
A wave of joy swept through the village. Smiles turned into cheers as realization set in.
"Quick! We must prepare everything! The ti has co to celebrate!"
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Crimson Bastion Field
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The bastion stood as an unyielding fortress of stone and steel, its towering walls lined with banners bearing the emblem of the Crimson General. Arrow slits and watchtowers lood overhead, where sentries patrolled with disciplined precision.
"Will you take a break after this? You haven’t slept since last night, you should take a break man. I know it’s not your turn yet but you could barely look after the tower in your sleepy state." A soldier places a hand on his friend.
His friend sighs, shaking his head blinking his eyes to keep himself awake. "Hah... I learned my lesson last ti. You can’t take a break... with Lieutenant Selene watching."
The sun hung high in the sky, its relentless heat baking the training grounds below, where rows of soldiers pushed their bodies to the limit.
The rhythmic clash of wooden swords echoed through the courtyard.
"Are you weak, soldier- don’t tell you’re being such a dumbass that you can’t swing a sword!" Grunts and heavy breathing filled the air as the recruits sparred under the blistering sun, their bodies slick with sweat.
So stumbled, others endured, but none escaped the sharp gaze of Lieutenant Selene.
"You will be fighting for your life and death, if you put down your sword you’ll be putting down your life!" Arms crossed over her chest, she stood at the edge of the training yard, her polished boots planted firmly in the dirt. "Do you want to die?!"
"No Lieutenant!"
"Then start swinging!" Her expression was unreadable, but her thoughts were clear- none of these n were her type. Muscles ant nothing without skill, and she had no patience for those who thought brute strength alone would win wars.
Lieutenant Selene Krieg was not a woman known for kindness. She was known for order, discipline, and a voice that could make even the most hardened soldiers straighten their backs in fear.
Her words cut sharper than any blade, and when she spoke, there was no room for argunt- only obedience.
Thud!
"...?"
One of the soldiers who was training fell down, his sword straying not too far.
Lieutenant Selene walks over to him, the other soldiers who were naïve thought she was going to help him up but- "Lieutenant!"
She stood firm, fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of their sword. The blade, polished yet battle-worn, caught the light as it hovered just above the ground, steady and poised.
"Are you going to stand up or will you let my blade strike your neck and finish you off?" (Lieutenant Selene) eyes him down, the soldier boy grunts, looking straight at her and shaking his head.
He says nothing but rely crawls to where his sword was and holds it like his life depended on it.
"Good, I need you to strengthen your will to live. Let this be a reminder that the mont you show weakness. I won’t be the lucky one to take your head, it would be a demon who will destroy our hos- kill our loved ones and make chaos in our peaceful ways." She sheathes it back, turning to the rest who stopped their training just to watch what the scary woman would do. "Did I tell you to stop?"
With that everyone got back to their training.
Born into a lineage of warriors, Selene had never been given the luxury of weakness.
The Krieg family had served in the military for generations, each ancestor carving their na into history through blood, sweat, and victory. She had been trained since childhood to uphold their legacy, molded into a soldier before she could even dream of being anything else.
Her presence alone was enough to strike terror into the hearts of recruits. She patrolled the bastion with the air of a war goddess, her sharp eyes missing nothing. If a soldier faltered, she would be there, her cutting words delivering punishnt sharper than any whip.
No laziness, no excuses, and certainly no failure- not under her watch. Yet, beneath the harsh exterior, there was an unshakable sense of duty. She did not demand perfection out of cruelty- she demanded it because she knew what the battlefield did to the unprepared.
"Hah...!" The fallen soldier boy got back to swinging, harder and even faster.
The strict Lieutenant smiles in seeing his effort.
Her n did not need to like her. They only needed to survive.
And as she stood at the edge of the training yard, arms crossed over her chest, her mind was elsewhere. The Crimson General was returning, and for the first ti in years, Selene felt sothing foreign stir within her- a quiet anticipation she would never dare put into words.
She barely spared them a glance, her focus elsewhere.
She exhaled, tilting her head slightly toward the bastion’s entrance. The air felt different today, charged with sothing unspoken. The Crimson General was expected to return, and Selene had been waiting- longer than she’d admit. Her grip tightened behind her back.
The war had hardened her, made her expect the worst, but this ti, she allowed herself a mont of hope.
Let the soldiers sweat. Let them struggle.
"Hah...!"
"Co here-!"
"This is going to hurt!"
She had her own battle to prepare for- the mont Rowan would walk through those gates again.
"Put your backs into it! The war might be over, so of our brothers and sisters are mourning but do you think we have ti to think?!" (Lieutenant Selene) prays that the army will serve the great crimson general well. "The demons will not rest! While we wait for the general, we will show her our progress! We will show her that we are strong! That the crimson battalion is the best among all the rest! What do you think, soldiers! Are we the strongest?!"
Lieutenant Selene’s voice rang out like a battle horn, sharp and commanding.
"Yes, Lieutenant!" They roared in unison, their voices shaking the very ground beneath them.
"You are not just soldiers- you are the sword and shield of this bastion! The Crimson General fights for this land, and we will be ready when she returns! Weakness is not an option! Failure is not an option! Show your strength!"
A spark ignited in the soldiers’ eyes. The exhaustion that once weighed on their limbs burned away, replaced by sothing fierce- determination.
Backs straightened, grips tightened, and the dull haze of fatigue vanished in an instant.
With newfound energy, they threw themselves into training. Blades clashed harder, footwork sharpened, and every strike carried the fire of warriors who refused to be anything less than their best. The bastion echoed with the relentless rhythm of combat, each soldier pushing beyond their limits, driven by the will of the woman who commanded them.
"Tweet!"
Suddenly, a ssenger bird circled high above the training grounds, scanning the crowd before swooping down gracefully. It landed on Lieutenant Selene’s shoulder, ruffling its feathers as it nestled against her. She smirked, reaching up to gently stroke its head.
"Is it from that fool who doesn’t know when to shut up?" She mused.
"Tweet!" The bird replies, not understanding what this human was saying but now that he got the job done he’s going to expect double the food tonight. "Tweet."
"So it is." She exhaled, untying the small scroll from its leg. "What news does he bring?"
Her eyes scanned the ssage, and for the first ti in a long while, her expression softened.
"She’s really coming ho..." She murmured.
A rare warmth flickered across her face. Without thinking, she quickly smoothed her hair, glancing down at her worn armor. Should she wear her best set to welco Rowan? Would it be foolish to wonder if makeup would suit her after all this ti?
She straightened, her voice rising with renewed energy.
"Everyone! Our ti has co to give our general the welco she deserves! Prepare everything- we make this hocoming one she’ll never forget!"
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