Reiji and Taiken walk through the mansion. Both of them will sleep in Reiji's room tonight.
"That old man is going to die of a heart attack before morning."
Taiken says coldly. "Don't jinx it." Reiji quickly responds.
"And what are these monsters or whatever you two were talking about?"
"Things that appear in our world, mostly in Solindrath, and mess up everything."
"Sounds like a fairytale to me." Taiken dismisses it without a second thought.
Reiji turns to Taiken and looks at him. "People died to the things you call a fairytale."
"People died? Wow, who cares about dead people?" Taiken says without any shame.
Reiji slaps Taiken. "So our parents don't matter?!" Reiji screams before getting pushed back by Taiken, barely staying on his feet.
"Don't mention mom and dad!" Taiken yells back, the pain clear in his voice.
"So we are supposed to just hide from the fact that they died and didn't deserve it?!"
"You don't know that! You don't know what they did before we came. I have thought about it for so long. They taught us that good things happen to those who are good to others! So why did they have to die?"
Taiken screams. He doesn't hold back tears. What came after their parents' deaths was quick, painful and unforgiving.
"Because the world is just that cruel, Taiken. A lot of people rarely do enough harm that death is a just end for them. I had so long to think about. Maybe even too long."
The brothers quiet down for a moment.
"Let's just go to your room, idiot. I need to sleep in a place made for sleeping."
Taiken says in a light, hushed tone. Reiji turns and starts leading the way again. After a moment they enter his room. The door to the balcony is fixed.
Taiken walks to the closest bed and falls onto it, not caring if Reiji used to sleep in it. Reiji stares at Taiken for a moment before shaking his head.
"You know you haven't showered, right? You just put on clean clothes."
Reiji comments only for Taiken not to respond. He then walks over and forcefully throws Taiken out of the bed.
"Go shower!"
Reiji yells in a firm tone, pointing at the bathroom door. Taiken looks up from the ground, slightly confused before standing up and shoving Reiji back.
He takes a few steps back before charging at Taiken. The two have a not so playful fight.
In the room next to theirs the general is woken up. She turns on her back and she feels her eye twitch as irritation takes over.
A few hours later during the early morning in Caelvorn.
General Shiroken Daimvaru stands on the roof of a building in a conquered part of Caelvorn. He is looking at the horizon as the sun is slowly coming up.
He then hears footsteps behind him and a man runs onto the roof. He stops a short distance behind the general, salutes him and starts speaking.
"Sir, as per protocol I am to remind you that you shouldn't be in such a dangerous area, sir! I also come bearing bad news!"
General Daimvaru sighed. He was a forty-year-old man who lived for the thrill of winning battles, not listening to this.
"Quit your nonsense and tell me what's going on." He said in a calm and tired tone.
"Sir, scouts have spotted an army coming from the southwest, at least 10 000 men by estimate. The concern is that we have not yet fully taken control of the city. The good news is that Ambevale has fallen."
General Daimvaru thinks for a moment.
"I'm not losing this city. Request reinforcements from Ambervale. Peel back half of our men and tell them to take up defensive positions along the wall of this city. Block off any holes we created to get in. I want artillery and the cavalry to be ready to move out on my command. Station them outside the south gate. Put any important information on my table."
The man bows and quickly leaves to issue the orders. General Daimvaru keeps looking at the horizon. He's calm, confident in his abilities as a general.
Not long after the sun peaks over the horizon and reveals a chilling site. It's a large army barely visible with the naked eye. General Daimvaru takes out his spyglass and looks at the enemy force. 10 000 soldiers was a great understatement.
The general quickly gets off the roof and runs to his headquarters, orders are already being shouted. It's absolute chaos as men run all around him.
"All men to their battle stations! Enemy force spotted!"
General Daimvaru walks into his tent and goes straight to his table, checking for any new letters. When he sees only one he grabs it and quickly opens it. The request for reinforcements was accepted but it was unclear when they would get here.
The general runs out of his tent. He looks around for a moment and sees that there is no one of rank to issue orders to. He then grabs a random soldier, leading him up to the roof of one of the buildings.
"What's your name?" The general asked the soldier who was walking behind him as they went up the stairs to the roof. The building was surprisingly well intact. Its stone wall suffered minimal damage.
"Sir, Akito Doi, sir!" The soldier responds. When they get onto the roof the general starts pointing at the distant terrain.
"Tell the artillery to take up positions on that hill if possible. If not then stay near it. The cavalry should go around and behind the hill to flank the enemy from behind. They are at the south gate. Now go, Doi, go!"
"Sir, yes, sir!" Doi quickly takes off towards the south gate. General Daimvaru is left alone on the roof and stares at the massive enemy force. They are clearly visible with the naked eye now.