Thousands of Rhöem's forces were marching towards the battlefield. Malik shuddered at the sight of his blade. He hated war, and violence, but this violence for the sake of the village and his children.
Luke on the other hand, was ecstatic at the idea of fighting for the village, and loved his weapon.
'Come on Malik the battle won't be that bad, we'll easily win and go back to our families, we're strong, you're strong. I'll even treat you to lunch after this, this battle'll be a piece of cake,' said Luke, excited to give the oppressive guild a taste of their own medicine.
'I'm not too sure about that buddy, but yeah you're right there's not many soldiers that they have sent to fight us, oh, there they are I see them not too far away,' said Malik.
An hour passed, and both sides were ready to charge.
'This is it,' Malik said in a low voice.
'Whoever kills less enemies has to pay for lunch,' Luke said, in a cheeky voice.
'CHAAAAARGE, ADVANCE, I SAID ADVANCE GODDAMN IT,' one of the commanders shouted, at the top of his lungs, making both sides weary that it's time to charge in and kill.
Luke and Malik, best friends, charged in together, no cavalry, just running in. They both somehow dodged many arrows and continued to advance along with hundreds of the rest of the army.
Luke claimed first blood, beheading three in a single slash. Malik punched two in the face and stabbed them in the throat, allowing for a quick execution, and pushed another towards Luke, who stomped on his head, smashed his skull, and killed him too.
Not too far off in the distance, there was a large clashing sound, massive booms, and then the loudest scream the two have ever heard.
Luke and Malik continued to tag team and wipe a good chunk of the Iron Fist. They were definitely some of the strongest in the army. Then, Malik saw a small silhouette of a person stabbing other bigger men. 'It couldn't be? Right?' Malik thought to himself, as he beheaded another man.
Malik found Luke, stopped in his tracks.
'Malik... i- it's a child... why are there children involved in this war, how horrible and inhumane is this guild?' Luke said, confused, as he looked at a child soldier glaring at him right back, after stabbing three adult soldiers.
'Come here young one, us, the Village Of Rhöem are taking in young children who are lost, come with me,' Luke said with tears streaming down his face, he picked the child up, and looked back at Malik, blood streaming out from his mouth, 'Malik... I'm sorry, tell my mother I love her.'
Luke got stabbed by the child, and died a gruesome death, with his best friend watching.
'L-L- Luke?' Malik stammered, and suddenly, out of nowhere, got stabbed in the side, and left to be bleeding out, he glanced at his enemy, being, yet another, child soldier.
'Is this how cruel this world truly is?' Malik whispered, his voice weak and ragged. He coughed, blood staining his lips as he gasped for air. 'These... children... they've been robbed of their innocence before it could even bloom…' His breath rattled in his chest, each inhale painful. 'They're forced to kill... turned into machines...'
Malik's vision dimmed, his hand shaking as he weakly clutched at his wound. 'They don't even know... what they're fighting for...' He let out a pained breath, his words breaking as the blood flowed faster.
'There's no hope left for this damned... this damned worl—' Malik's voice cut off, his body going limp as his final breath escaped. He collapsed, his life slipping away from excessive blood loss.
_______________________________________
The battle came to a brutal close the moment the two commanders clashed. The victor was inevitable—the Commander of the Iron Fist had triumphed over the Commander of Rhöem. What had seemed like an easy contest for Rhöem had quickly devolved into a one-sided massacre.
The savages of the Iron Fist stood victorious, their brutal triumph leaving nothing but destruction in their wake. Now, their path leads them to the final target—the Village of Rhöem.