The sky was bright, clouds few and far between, the sun gazing down onto the realm of Sicarus. A young drone hauled a crate full of fertilizer down the beaten path, gazing up to the sky over the hive's walls, the sunlight sparkling in her ocean-blue eyes. She sighed softly and smiled, rushing down through the busy street. To any creature, life as a Sicari drone seemed more like indentured servitude, if not slavery. However, the Changelings did not see life any other way, only service to the Queen and the hive. She went along, reaching a large plantation just near the edge of the hive where another drone waited. He smiled warmly and waved before approaching to help with the heavy load.
"Do you Need a hand, sister?" He took the crate off her hooves, patted her head, and looked down. He was a much older drone with crisp red eyes and wings similar in hue.
"Thank you, brother." She nodded with a faint smile as she shook her head to remove the dirt and grime. "I... I hope I got everything right this time; the exchange was crowded."
"No fret, Kitu, I'm sure you got the necessities." He pried open the crate, revealing some bags of seeds and other goods, nodding as he hauled a bag out. "Grab the other; we must fix some trampled crop." He beckoned for Kitu to follow, and the two traveled down a short pasture that cut through a large farm. In the middle of one of the plantations lay a crater for which a group of drones dumped dirt with primitive shovels and small wagons; one of the drones went to greet Kitu's brother, not taking notice of her yet.
"Greetings, Divek; you brought the supplies, yes?" Divek nodded. Kitu somewhat stood behind her brother in his shadow as they spoke before being gently pushed forward by him after being told to hand over some of the supplies. Kitu shyly presented a bag of fertilizer, not making complete eye contact as it was taken by one of the drones. "C'mon Kitu, let's get to it." Kitu slowly looked up after the group went back to tending to the crater, glancing up at Divek, who smiled back and patted her head gently.
Hours had passed, and the sun was near setting as Kitu was about to plant the last few seeds from her bag. Everyling else had finished up and either chose to head home or stay to get more work done. Divek lightly patted her on the back. "All done here?"
Kitu glanced up. "Mhm..-" She was cut off by a sudden yawn before brushing off the dirt from her legs. Divek stretched, glancing over to his colleagues, who waved him over. He glanced down at Kitu.
"Why don't you fetch some spades from the tool shed so we can finish here?" Kitu stood on her hooves and nodded, trotting through the plantation down to the edge of the farmland where a large yet old shed resided. She shook her head to remove some dirt before opening the door. Though Kitu still tried to find the required spades, it was dark and cluttered. She noticed the silver glint from a crate on a prominent shelf high on the shed wall. Kitu tried fluttering her wings, slowly hovering herself up to reach the shelf. Kitu tried staying steady, eventually reaching the uppermost shelf. She glanced back to her wings, slowly attempting to shift forward before accidentally accelerating and hitting her head on the box.
"Ngh!" The force knocked her out of the air, hitting the ground as the shelf wobbled; before Kitu could realize it, a large spade from the topmost shelf, the same spade she was attempting to get, fell right and just barely missed her entire leg, causing her a deep cut with the shelf itself collapsing, its top being caught on the opposite side of the wall with all the equipment falling and landing on top of the young drone battering her already injured body causing her to shriek out in pain. She struggled underneath the rubble, her hind legs stuck underneath a crate, including her wound, causing her much pain as it was pressed into the dirt floor of the shed. "H-Help! Divek! Please!"
Divek's head jumped up from the sound of crashing and screaming as he quickly hurried to the shed. Some of his colleagues followed behind, and they immediately busted into the shed and pushed away all the debris and boxes covering her. He delicately lifted her, Kitu grabbing onto him and sobbing into his shoulder the moment he pulled her out of the rubbage. Her teeth clenched and gripped her brother tight as blood dripped from her legs onto the ground. Divek gently rested her on the grass with her back against the wall.
"Focus on me, sister. Just hold on." Divek tried to focus her on his eyes as he elevated her leg and tended to her cuts, holding her hoof as the other farmhand drones stood around and watched. Kitu, with her teary eyes, tried to concentrate on him, though she slowly blacked out.
Her eyes jumped open, hearing the calls of the guards and the soft rumbling in the distance. The soldiers around her immediately scrambled to her feet. Lost and confused, she looked around, pressing herself against the barrier she rested against as the chaos ensued, the rumbling getting louder, though it was hard to hear it all over the thumping of her heart as she tried to look around for her brother. She looked at her hoof, being held by her brother as he was quickly tightening a bandage around her leg, the same place where she was hurt. He gave her a quick hug, seeing she came too.
"Thank the hatcher, you are awake; I thought I nearly had lost you." Kitu slowly recollected herself; she straightened her helmet and attempted to stand, her leg still stinging with pain, but it wasn't enough to keep her from walking. "Thank you, brother, I feel... I feel ok despite the pain." Divek just smiled and patted her head as Kitu faintly grinned back. One of their senior officers called them to get moving, Divek responding with a quick salute and guiding Kitu to their position among the fortifications. Over yonder, they saw a few sapper drones retreat from their unfinished structures on the camp's exterior, running back to cover as the distant rumbling became quicker and louder. Albeit terrified, Kitu felt comforted by the presence of Divek, whom she stayed very close to.
Divek noticed her shivering, turning to smile and patting her helmet. "No fret, sister, we will stick together." While his smile reassured the young Kitu, he too was terrified; soldiers of the line were not briefed on what they would be facing, but rather who. The hive of Volistad, Sicarus' oldest and numerous rivals since its founding, intended to finalize their feud with Sicarus by conquering the hive and assimilating it into their own. Volistad was very backward though daunting; they staggered behind its neighbors technologically and culturally, clinging onto the past and especially the more primal method of warfare, while outdated, still proved devastating. It was under Sicari nobleman Lykus Sicari who led this defense, a very overconfident and smug individual with more concern for their image. The rumbling got louder, and the sky was cloudy and gray, making it hard to see what was coming for them, though everyling was told to the holdfast.
Kitu looked up at her brother, giving a soft smile in return for his attempts to calm her and a soft nod. She was lost for words; she wanted to say much, but her fear kept her quiet and still, though she intended to stay as close as possible to him. Lykus arrived at the fortifications, where Kitu and her brother were stationed, dressed in dark purple soft silk robes decorated with shiny medals. He pulled out a spyglass with his hooves and scanned the exterior before being interrupted by a watchman running up to him.
"My lord, we cannot see them. The fog is too strong, and the clouds are too dense. They can be anywhere." Lykus turned his head to the concerned soldier and waved him off.
"An unseen enemy is strong, but the strategy we have developed is unmatchable by any primitives." The soldier softly bowed his head, apologizing before returning to his post. The anxiety held strong throughout the ranks of Lykus' army, as shown through the frightful eyes of every drone, once commoners, now soldiers. Only the veterans did not show much fear but no delight either; they knew who they were dealing with even if the others did not. The rumbling stopped, causing everyling to look around. Kitu softly glanced at Lykus before looking back and forth as the lord snapped out.
"Well? You all look like cowardly rats waiting to be gobbled up by vultures. Raise yourselves and find those slime!" One soldier blew a short tune into his horn, sounding an order to advance. The soldiers all got into their formation. Divek held Kitu's hoof as they were led into a rectangle-like formation with swords drawn and pointed out. The marching order was given, and the large columns of Sicari soldiers set forth. The fog had thickened, and Lykus remained back at camp with his advisors and some officers as he watched the advance from his spyglass.
"Sire? Perhaps they fled?" One of his advisors inquired. "This is the tenth rumble we have heard, but they don't seem here anymore." Lykus rolled his eyes and snapped back.
"The last time we faced these worms was at Yurvik within the Great Marshes; they were numerous but mindlessly ran into our defenses and didn't even contemplate retreat; they are still here." His remark made the dissenting advisor silent as they all looked outward to the field. The columns were ordered to a halt once the advance reached far enough without spotting anything. They stood in formation for hours. The fog slowly began to dissipate, but to the dismay of the Sicari army, their foe not only had not attacked as expected initially but had seemingly built up a large fortification, almost matching Lykus' design, which caused the noble to lower his spyglass in complete shock slowly.
"What is this..." He raised it again, closing his other eye as he tried to determine the situation entirely.
"It appears to be a fort... My lord..." One of his advisors replied almost sarcastically, which Lykus was not pleased to hear, and immediately turned to snap once more.
"I can see that, Cauleincour. Do you think I'm blind? Unless you explain how these brutes learned to pick up a hammer, I suggest you hold your tongue." He scoffed and turned back, looking it over. A scout soon descended, landing beside Lykus and bowing his head.
"My lord, there is no activity from the fort but no sign of any retreat." The scout removed his helmet and stood still, awaiting a response.
"Gone? Preposterous, they're still there." He took a few steps up to the fortifications, looking upon the fort as the fading fog slowly revealed it. He inched down with his spyglass, his soldiers still in formation, though they, too, were confused. He scowled and slammed his spyglass shut as he pivoted to face his advisors.
"Perhaps this is just a ruse to drain our resources. Or a trap?" An advisor inquired. Lykus did not contemplate anything they said despite the circumstances, raising his hoof to silence them as he thought for a moment.
"Have our regiments fall back to our outer defenses and have all ballistas and mage companies focus fire on that monstrosity." He made a quick gesture to the scout and some officers, who quickly took off upon receiving their orders. Lykus turned back around, glaring over to the Volistad fort, and his advisors quietly muttered to each other. Kitu rubbed at her bandaged leg.
"What is going on, Divek?" Kitu softly spoke to her brother.
"I don't know, sister, I don't know." It wasn't long until their officer gave the withdrawal order, Kitu's regiment making a full one-eighty as they seemingly marched back. Kitu stagged, being bumped forward by the soldier behind as she tried tugging at her bandage to keep it from falling. The regiments trekked a mile back to their fortifications; sappers continued their construction as the regiments dispersed out of formation and repositioned along the defenses already established, using the half-finished palisades and other small wooden fortifications as cover with the Sicari standard being planted on the grass field in the middle of the set of defenses. Kitu separated herself from the leading group, trotting a few feet away to rest on a fallen log, her brother following suit.
"How is the leg?" Divek looked down at her. Kitu carefully removed a piece of her equipment near her leg; the bandage was dirty and stained with blood. Even looking at it caused her to wince, gently gripping it with her hooves.
"It still stings, but I'm fine." Kitu shrugged lightly, extending her leg to get a better look. Divek softly sighed and patted her head.
"Here, I think I have another bandage; let me replace that." Kitu softly nodded, biting her tongue as Divek knelt to remove the old bandage. As he tended to her wound, sudden thuds were heard in the distance behind the Sicari fortification, gaining the attention of everyone within the camp as large flaming steel arrows darted through the sky and struck the Volistad fort, causing large explosions and balls of fire to shoot out into the sky, shooting debris and wooden splinters in multiple directions. Everyone stood and watched, though their attention quickly being taken off the mighty display as a few dark-cloaked individuals hastily made their way down the clearing the soldiers were resting upon, carrying large staffs on their back, their snouts covered with only their glowing eyes being seen within their thick hoods, Sicari battlemages. Kitu perked up at the sight of them, one even briefly making eye contact with her as they passed.
The battlemages got into position just outside the fort's exterior as heavy flaming arrows continuously pelted it. One by one, each individual began casting a spell using their staff, sending a sizeable destructive burst of green energy and balls of flame at the fortification, adding to the terrifying display of destruction and devastation being brought upon the Volistad fort, flames shooting up into the sky with ash and soot slowly falling from the sky as smoke flooded the open air. The display lasted for hours till dawn, the sun beginning to set, and the fortress was scorched and ablaze, lighting the darkening sky. The fire danced in the air for a few hours, though soon the fires died down, the smoke simmered though still thick and dark. Divek finalized his treatment of Kitu's hurt leg as he tightened the bandage, helping her stand as their regiments were called to organize into formation once more. The mages made way for the regiments, readying to advance with the army. Kitu could not keep her eyes off both the mages and the fort. Most parts of the fort had crumbled; the wooden palisades scorched with some of the iron (find word) melted into slag from the intense heat brought forth by the Sicari barrage.
"Ready arms!" An officer cried out, everyling drawing and preparing their blades. The call caused Kitu to snap out of her short trance, hastily bringing her weapon out as she quickly realized what might happen. She glanced up at her brother, who stared forward with his grip on his pike as tight as ever. He was scared, and so was she. Slowly, one by one, each regiment began to advance; as they encroached, the fortress felt much taller than it was a few miles back, still fuming with smoke choking the sky. While the war drums beat, there was a sound missing that every soldier noticed, especially the veterans. No screams or sounds of pain, nothing. Just the simmering ashes and crackling fires, the front rows of each regiment were ordered to advance their whole division, clearing up the rubble and debris to make way. The first regiment marched through the clearing, mostly comprised of veterans and the more experienced soldiers, their eyes focused forward as they immediately broke formation upon entering the clearing, spreading more apart as they held their weapons drawn forward. A soldier trotted to the left to inspect a mound of dirt, the mound's surface scorched by the bombardment.
"You there! Stay away from that-" An officer tried calling out, though, without much warning, the mound exploded, sending everyone within a short radius flying back as other mounds around the encampment also burst out, producing the same amount of damage as the first with dirt and debris shooting into multiple directions. Volistad swarms began pouring out of the holes they created, wearing absolutely nothing. They lunged and darted towards the closet creature they saw, using their razor-sharp teeth and claws to maul and rip apart the poor souls in their way. The sudden attack created chaos within Kitu's regiment; being next to send in, the mayhem being seen just from outside the fort. Lykus watched through his spyglass, seeing the explosions shoot into the air, hearing his men's screams and the Volistad swarm's war cries. He quickly shut his spyglass and commanded his scout.
"What are those pathetic excuses of chivalry standing there for? Send them in!" The scout quickly bowed and darted into the sky to relay the order. Kitu's heart raced. Low to the ground like the other soldiers in her regiment, many crawled for cover as light shrapnel shot from the clearing from the explosion. Though before long, the order to rise was given, Kitu slowly got up, holding at her leg with the help of Divek, who looked at her with worry.
"Stay close to me, sister; we will make it through this." A loud horn suddenly blared out, and the order to charge was given. Row by row, each went straight into the fold, immediately coming into contact with Volistad drones who showed no mercy to their adversaries. Then Kitu saw it all: corpses littering the battlefield as the fighting worsened, and a third regiment barged in from the opposite side of the fort, though the Volistad army did not falter. A much larger drone charged Divek; he ducked down and thrust his blade forward, impaling the creature in the chest; he twisted the knife a bit and pulled out before the drone could fall on top. Kitu tried to stay close, though terrified; she managed to avoid being struck by a few crazed drones as they lunged at the Sicari forces; after pushing away the gored drone, Divek immediately rushed to his sister as he pulled close to cover. Divek's armor covered in gore nearly caused Kitu to puke, though she suddenly clung onto her brother. Divek panted and looked down at her.
"With me now, sister, we mustn't falter here." He stood up, hastily guiding her to join their comrades in arms to force the Volistad swarm to withdraw. Kitu only watched in horror as she saw the members of her hive lying dead or nearly passed writhing on the ground beside her as they rushed to the aid of their comrade in arms. The adrenaline rushed through Kitu's body, her heart pounding, eyes darting in every direction as she and Divek swiftly made their way to the brunt of the action. Most of her regiment hunkered down on the west wing of the fort, the Volistad swarm throwing themselves against the Sicari blades as mindlessly as Lykus would have expected, though something about them compared to previous encounters had changed.
A Sicari battle mage managed to summon a small defensive shield, allowing the Sicari soldiers to fight from the safety of the Mage's magical shielding. Even the Mage, known to be the Elite of the Sicari military, was beginning to falter, with his robes torn and staff cracked, his face partially revealed, though it is forbidden in their culture. Divek, with his sister, rushed to his Sergeant, who stood behind the bulk of his soldiers.
"Good! We needed more fillers. Our Mage cannot hold this defense forever. Ready yourself!" The officer spoke, his voice filled with courage, though with a hint of tremble. "Each one of you reinforces both wings!" Divek nodded, looked to his sister, and didn't say anything as he let go of her hoof.
"Brother? What are you-" Kitu's eyes widened with a slight tilt of the head as she tried to grip his arm desperately.
"We must split for now, sister. Do not worry; I promise to see you when this ends." He spoke softly to her, placing one hoof on her shoulder. Kitu didn't cry; she could only stare into his eyes as Divek did the same. He slowly stepped back, Kitu's hoof sliding off his arm as he gave her a soft head pat before departing to his position amongst the other soldiers. Kitu watched, fear decorating her eyes, and her mind filled with thoughts and possibilities of what could be, her heart racing, legs trembling, all so loud she could barely hear the carnage. From there, she could no longer see her brother, who was blocked by rows of soldiers. It was then the shield Mage collapsed; the shield failed. The troop charged, slamming against the Volistad drones who waited outside the perimeter of the remnants of Lykus' failed offensive established. Every soldier charged with their blades pointed forward, clashing hard with the swarm; the outlooked appeared grim. icari soldiers were pounced on and essentially torn apart by savage drones, impaled by their blades or the sharp fangs of the Volistad warriors.
Despite their ferocity, the raw aggression of the Volistad horde began to falter under the relentless pressure forced onto them by the counter-offensive. The Sicarus army's disciplined approach and superior tactics overwhelmed their primitive adversary. The once-chaotic melee began to subside as the swarm was slowly driven back, their once-confident roars replaced by desperate howls of retreat. Once their morale improved, the organized and disciplined Sicari forces succeeded in their charge. Kitu, rather than joining the rest of her comrades, instead searched for her brother amid the chaos, running through the charging lines of soldiers. Fighting continued despite the Volistad retreat; she eventually found herself out of the crowds of soldiers. They saw a few Sicari drones fighting off a group of Volistad warriors accompanied by their mages, dressed more primitively decorated with stones and gems than their Sicari counterparts.
Amidst the counterattack, another Sicari troop came charging from the sky, piercing the Volistad swarm; though not as coordinated, it caught the Volistad swarm off guard as they struck from multiple directions, though they refused to relent, sacrificing every drone to ensure the Sicari force received the bloodiest nose in its history. The ballistas fired off in the distance, and once more, sizeable flaming steel arrows came barreling from the sky, striking the large crowds of warriors, creating a magnificent yet horrifying display of explosions and sounds of arrows whizzing and striking the surface with large thuds enough to shake anyone in a short distance. Despite the brutal assault, the swarm fled the battlefield, though their return was inevitable.
"Brother! Divek!" She called out. The sky had turned dark and grey, choked by the smoke and ashes of the fires that littered the fortress. She tripped on a fallen drone before she could reach her brother, sending her to the ground with her helmet flying off. Kitu yelped out in pain, having struck her hurt leg upon falling as she could only watch her brother from afar while struggling to get back to her hooves. Divek struck down a Volistad soldier, helping out one of his own before spotting his sister. e smiled with a soft wave, his armored uniform covered in scars and the foe's blood. However, with a sudden flash, one of the Volistad mages caused a large explosion within the field between Divek and her sister. A blinding, incandescent light instantly consumed the world. Kitu reached out for her brother, her eyes wide and her heart sinking as she lost sight of him; ultimately, the blast either eviscerated or sent everything in its vicinity flying.
Then everything changed; her ears rang, and the sky darkened as twilight dawned over the battlefield. Dazed by the shockwave, she could barely think or see, nearly blacking out. Some time had passed, night had entirely fallen, the fortress empty beside the corpses littering the field with every corridor stinking of death and destruction. Kitu slowly rose, coughing and struggling to stand on all four hooves, ash and soot coating her head and armor. She remained motionless on the ground like the carcasses surrounding her for some time, her heart thumping, face nearly buried into the heated soil. Her mind tried to process what she had witnessed, nearly impossible for her to fully digest; in the blink of an eye, her brother was gone forever, though parts of her refused to accept it; however, she did not doubt her own eyes. Letting out a visceral groan, she glanced around in a daze; she limped forward, slowly and surely regaining her bearings as she desperately searched for her brother. Her eyes wander, only able to find the corpses of friend and foe alike. She approached the scorched ground, the last place she saw her brother. Kitu spotted a helmet embedded into the ground, its surface partially obscured by dirt and debris from the explosion. She used her hooves to tug the helmet out, nearly fused in with the scorched earth.
It was her brother's helmet.
A lump formed in her throat as she carefully lifted the helmet, revealing more of its battered surface. The rim cracked, and one side bore a significant dent. She could almost hear Divek's voice, which had teased and comforted her equally. The helmet was a stark reminder of his absence, a symbol of the sacrifice that had taken him from her. Kitu sank to her knees, helmet still in her hooves, the weight of her loss pressing heavily upon her soul. The world seemed to stand still as she clutched the helmet tightly, her tears mingling with the dust and grime on her cheeks. At that moment, Kitu held onto the last tangible piece of her brother, the only thing that could bridge the gap between his vibrant life and the silence that now surrounded her. She clenched tighter, baring her teeth and fangs as she growled, shutting her eyes with tears streaming down her face, though she hardly made a noise but a light growl.
However, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something in the distance that stood out amongst the silent field. The scene was almost an afterthought to her grief. Yet, amidst the wreckage and the carnage, a young, cloaked figure rested on his knees, another drone, perhaps a few years younger than her, with an air of raw sorrow mirrored her own. H was kneeling beside the body of a Sicari battlemage, his master. The Mage's robes, once vibrant with magical symbols, were now stained and torn. The Apprentice's face was streaked with dirt and tears; his eyes locked onto the corpse with an intensity born of deep pain. Kitu carefully approached; though she recognized the cloak the Apprentice wore, she was still not confident whether it be a friend or foe, though the aura the drone gave off was just enough to assure herself. In Sicari culture, the title of Mage, let alone battlemage, was highly prestigious; they held significant influence in the grand scheme of things and had broad access to unlimited information, books, training, and even positions within the Sicari bureaucracy. They commonly held titles of war leaders, though, in the circumstances of Lykus' mobilization, that feature became obsolete, for they were as much cannon fodder as the rest of the Sicari soldiers in defense of the hive.
The young Apprentice cradled the head of their fallen master in his lap, eyes closed while muttering soft words for which Kitu could not make out what they were. His hoof traced the Mage's covered face as though trying to memorize every detail before it faded into the memory of the battlefield. Kitu wished not to disturb, but eventually, her hoof steps alerted the mourning individual as she got closer. His eyes opened as he cautiously stood up, facing away. In Changeling society, it was hard to know who to trust. Both Sicari and Volistad can shapeshift at will, so it is reasonable for the Apprentice mourning in the middle of a former battlefield to have immense caution when dealing with a stranger. Kitu froze upon seeing the Apprentice rise to his hooves, staring him down, her eyes still swollen with tears, tail drooped, but her ears still perked up as the Apprentice slowly turned to face the young soldier.
"My master has... has fallen, please, I just wish to mourn. I am no enemy. I am nothing no more." He spoke with little strength, slowly turning to face Kitu as she stared on, still holding onto her brother's helmet. They stared at each other, Kitu's teal glowing eyes meeting his purple shade. She noticed he lacked much damage on his face compared to her, though he wore no cover over his face and snout like his master or any other mage. Though both had many differences, they certainly had one thing in common.
"I am no foe, I..." The Mage spoke up before she could finish.
"You lost someone in this mess, too, I can tell." He gestured to the helmet in her grip. Kitu glanced down before closing her eyes and softly nodded. The Apprentice approached her; his head lowered as ash fell gently from the smoke-choked dark sky. They were nearly a few inches apart, staring into each other's eyes again, the silence returning. The Mage finally spoke.
"I am Beryl Miratus, Apprentice of the fallen Lokil Miratus, once great Mage and protector of Sicarus. Our paths have seemingly crossed; I have been taught that everything happens for a reason; there must be one for our encounter. So, who are you?" Kitu, still in a daze of grief and sorrow, sniffled softly and gulped, speaking softly.
"I am Kitu Elder. I was a farmer in the Kempta province before the war started. I lost my brother in the conflict; this is all that is left." She nudged her snout down to the scorched helmet still firm in her grip. Beryl provided a soft head bow, glancing back at his former master.
"An honor, Lady Kitu. May we mourn together then, the Hatcher may bring mercy to our fallen kin." Beryl respectfully bowed his head, Kitu mirroring the same graceful courtesy. Beryl shifted back to the corpse of his master, softly lowering his head before turning back to his new friend.
"If you don't mind, I could use a hoof paying final respects to my master." Kitu nodded softly, tears still dripping from her face, though something about her encounter with the Apprentice made her feel less broken. Kitu and Beryl spent the next hour burying his master, each paying their respects in their own way. Beryl stood in front of the grave, as unmarked as it was, holding his master's staff in his hoofs as he stared down at it. He sighed, resting it on the dirt that concealed the corpse. The two spoke for some time, discussing home and good times to get their minds off the significant loss they had just experienced. From there, Kitu felt less lonely in this world, having someone to call a friend, though the term was everything but accepted in most Sicari and every Changeling culture, though still, she enjoyed having one.
Time had passed, and Kitu had returned to camp along with the remnants of Lykus' assault on the fortress. Beryl came with her, though he chose to distance himself from the common soldiery, but to Kitu's suggestion. Lykus himself stood from his command post from where he commanded the near suicide attack on the Volistad fort, a smug yet unimpressed expression painting his face. Kitu wore Divek's helmet, placing it on her head as she trotted down the dirt path, glancing past all the wounded, graves being dug, and supply wagons packed. Kitu, all silent and stern, joined her fellow soldiers, resting on the ground off to the side of the dirt path. She took short glances around, many covered in bandages, some missing entire limbs, though they all shared one typical detail, their eyes full of dread and fear. Soon, Lykus, accompanied by his advisors, toured down the camp, still decorated with a smug scowl with his medals and decorations jingling as he walked.
"What a pathetic display." He scoffed, being loud enough for everyling around to hear. "The Volistad menace will return, they will attack Sicari, and this "army" is all we have to defend it, if you lot even deserve to be called one." His advisors remained silent, though their demeanors seemed less sympathetic. Lykus huffed, walking up to the row of soldiers nearest to him, Kitu in particular, grabbing her forcefully and lifting her. "And you, just covered in dirt and grime with the eyes of a coward. Disgraceful." Kitu did not resist, staring into his eyes as she felt nothing at that moment, her mind still processing everything. Beryl watched from the woodlands near the columns of soldiers she was in; his ears perked up as he listened. Lykus eventually dropped her, walking down the column as he scowled and scoffed at almost every soldier. Beryl watched from afar; his ears perked up, leaving him to witness Lykus' outburst. He lightly scoffed, noticing his outburst, which focused on his friend, though he could not do much.
"Our battlemages gave their lives to protect you, scum, and yet you could not produce a more effective victory." Lykus finally reached the finale of his rant, shaking his head and turning to face his advisors, refusing to even look at his army. "We leave in an hour to return to Sicarus. Still, with little victory to bring with us, we will prepare for Volistad's inevitable assault." He fixed his butterfly silk cloak, trotting off with his entourage. Kitu stared at him the entire time he walked, even when he left, even while she was called to her feet along with every other drone as officers called them to attention; she stared forward, and as everything came together in her head, her resentment grew. His words led to every ounce of sadness and terror within her being replaced with hatred and spite, the voice of Lykus echoing through her head as all the emotions bottling inside her made way for her final resolve.
Revenge.
