It had taken longer than they previously thought for all the armies to arrive, but now that they had, the attack was just days away, or rather, tomorrow. Kieran snuck away from his tent and moved toward the outskirts of the camp. Belthane and Wes waved him down. “Finally joining us for that meal, are you?” Belthane asked, getting ready to serve the reheated leftovers.

“Oh, thank you,” he hadn’t eaten since that morning, but his stomach didn’t rumble. He set the bowl aside as more people came out to join in the meal. There was Jossen, Merak, Fugo, and more. He listened to them talk about their days, about their battles, about their pasts. “Back in Nyshtim, since my dad was a fisherman, we’d sometimes get people from across the sea and they would bring these huge pearls, bigger than any I’ve ever seen,” Fugo said.

“Is that the white looking ball you keep with you?” asked Jossen as he slurped a spoonful of stew.

“I know you think it’s stupid, but it’s my good luck charm. My dad wasn’t very happy that I was… Colorless, but he still gave this to me.” He pointed at a pouch fastened to his waist.

Kieran listened to their conversations for a little while longer.

“Did you hear that the Demon of Bones is here? I hear he has wings,” Wes said with a grin.

“Only one,” Belthane corrected him. “Still, it is a sight I would like to see. The last Blessed with wings was one hundred years ago from what I know. Though I don't know much.”

“What are you saying,” Merak nudges the older man, “You’re the one who taught us all how to survive out here.”

They all chimed in, echoing Merak’s words.

Kieran couldn’t bear it anymore. “Haven’t you all heard of what they want you to do?”

The cheerful atmosphere immediately sombered. Belthane answered,“Of course we know. We were expecting it.”

He asked, clenching his fists, “Isn’t it unfair for them to have you guys as the vanguard?”

“It’s the reasonable choice. We are Colorless after all. Better us than others.”

“How can you say that? Is being Colorless that bad?”

He was met with silence. Some turned away, others cast their eyes toward the ground, only Belthane looked at him. It was louder than any answer they could have said.

“Don’t you think it’s unfair?”

“Is it fair to have anyone else do it? No, it isn’t. Whether something is fair or not doesn’t matter,” Belthane said as he showed his bowl of leftovers. “It was never a privilege given to us.”

Kieran clasped his hands, “Aren’t you… Aren’t any of you even a little bit angry? Aren’t you mad about being forced to join this war?” He could feel their gazes on him. It was as if thousands of people were judging him, asking him why he cared. Why? Is it wrong to hate injustice? To hate unfairness?

“Maybe,” Wes spoke. “But not anymore.”

“There’s no use in holding onto our anger. Who would listen to us?” Belthane responded. “For us Colorless, there is no better place to be than on the battlefield.”

I’ve heard that answer already. It wasn’t any better then than it is now.

“So you’re fine with dying for people who don’t care about you? You’ve just all given up?” It was the last question he could muster the strength to ask. Against their defeated, resigned expressions, he could do nothing. It felt like looking in a mirror.

“Do you know about the story of The Archon?” Belthane asked, as he stared at the waning moon.

Kieran nodded.

“As you know, The Archon had taken over as the Palewing Clan head after his father died during The Death March. He united the scattered clans, Yathomar, Bonscythe, Nyshar, and Reyteour. He was a fierce warrior, a brilliant strategist, and an excellent leader. Some believe he was Bel’kah’s prophet. He would disregard old plans and come up with entirely new ones on the day of a battle and crush the enemy. He would throw himself into duels with opponents far stronger than himself and come out on top each time. He would organize ambushes that sprung minutes after they were laid. At the end of it all, he stood victorious at the Telash Plains, standing above the bodies of the fallen. Even now, hundreds of years later, we honor him by holding the Bloodletting near the capital, the crossroads of where he unified the clans.”

The Bloodletting was the ascension ritual for a new king. In it, Overlords and other Blessed of considerable achievements, Great Demons or higher, were allowed to challenge the throne as well as the siblings of the crowned prince or princess. Challenges were rare, however, as an absolute majority would never defy the king. The Council of Nine was created to further enforce The Bloodletting rules ever since the duel where the Palewing family was overthrown.

Belthane continued, “At the end of it all, what happened to The Archon?”

“He died,” Kieran answered. “Where is this going?”

“One of the greatest Blessed of all time, the hero of The Death March, the uniter of the five clans, The Archon, died after his victory at Telash Plains. Even though he had survived the onslaught of The Death March for years before that. Even though he had slain an angel by himself. I have seen war, young man. People die, left and right, falling by the hundreds, yet there are those who do not die. There are those who live, live through the chaos of war, time and time again only to come out reforged. And they choose to fight, again and again.”

“What do you mean?”

Belthane looked at him. “The Archon knew he would die.”

What?

Belthane recited a familiar song, “Though the sun sinks from the sky, we war through the long unending night. Our claws rend, while our wings are plucked from our backs. Though we fall in droves, against the tide, we still hold out, praying for the light. Our scales harden, while our flesh is ripped and torn. Though we know there is no hope, we fight on… wishing for the dawn.”

It was the same one sung by Me’dun.

“That song was recovered from his body and stored with his other possessions in the palace. The Archon wrote that the morning of his final battle. For us Colorless, it is our creed. Though we are weak and feeble, though we are shunned by the world, though we have no future, we fight on, against everything thrown at us. We fight, not because we are forced into it, but because we all wish for the day where we are recognized for our efforts. To us, we know The Archon’s song as, The Oldest Dream.”

“We won’t run,” Wes said. “We’ll prove to everyone we’re more than Colorless.”

“...aster. Young Master!” Teal shook him back to his senses.

“What? What is it?” It was evening and the attack was minutes away from starting. The tension in the air was high. Soldiers’ claws left marks in the shaft of their weapons, and the beat of the war drums was a bit off. The other armies weren’t in view. They had spread out and surrounded the enemy. Kieran had been recalling a conversation he had with the Overlord this morning.

“You want command of the Clawless Unit? Even if it is a request by Your Highness, it is not something I can allow.”

He hoped that by bringing them under his command, he could save them from being the meat shield for the army.

“If you wish to lead the charge alongside them, however, I will not stop you.”

He was at the back of the army atop his horse.

Though his voice wasn’t harsh, she was a little taken aback by his sudden response, “H-Have you seen Alexandra? I can’t find her anywhere.”

“I haven’t seen her since last night when she went to take a walk.” He had to admit, it was a little strange. She’d been hanging around him more ever since the fortress assault. For her to disappear so suddenly and on such at such a time was a bit odd. Why wasn’t she here? He wanted to ask her something and the time to ask it was closing.

As he thought that, Alexandra appeared next to them. “Apologies for my lateness, Young Master. I had something to do.”

Teal jumped, “M-Miss!”

He sighed. “We’re about to go into a fight- nevermind. Can you beat an angel in a one on one fight?”

Her tone was dry. “Why?”

“I need you to fight it.”

Again she asked, “Why?”

“So the Colorless don’t need to die. So that nobody on our side needs to die!”

“Why?”

The horse responded to his anger by shifting around. “Why? So that they can live and go back home! What’s so hard to understand about that?”

“...So you too believe we must use violence in order to end this violence… Regardless, I will protect only you as I always have.” She continued before he could respond. “War is chaos. We do not know when the tides will turn.”

The crystal in the Overlord’s hand glowed. After its light went out, the signal for attack was given. Their soldiers marched forward toward the Red Hills. It had been hastily fortified over the past few days and barriers made of the Haald Plain’s trees were acting as walls and barricades while they positioned themselves on top of the hills. No doubt they were ready and waiting to fire down arrows on them.

He stirred in the saddle, looking for the angel. Maybe, just maybe if he could see it, he’d be able to come up with a plan.

“What the fuck is that?”

Floating a few feet off the top of the hill was something easily twice the size of a person. Moonlight reflected off its cold, black silvery wings, and its ‘feathers’ were sharpened to points. The ‘angel’ spread its wings. Through the sounds of tens of thousands of feet moving at the same time, Kieran heard the horrible crack and snap of its mechanisms. Light radiated from its soulless eyes. Essence so potent it could be seen without Raah, radiated from its body. Finally, it raised its rusted silver arms to the sky as if it were giving its god an offering, as if it were telling all eyes to focus on it.

Kieran’s whole body shuddered.

“HALT!” the Overlord and other commanders’ voices rang out. They came to a sudden stop. The mechanical angel gazed at them for a moment. Then, its head tilted to the side.

“Y-Young Master, s-s-stay close to me…” Teal said as she tried to stay calm. “A-And get off the horse.”

“What?”

“Please!”

The moment he got off, the enemy commander, wearing full plate armor with a bear plet around his neck, gave an order to the machine. The angel released a shockwave of Essence. It missed the soldiers on the ground, but hit the people on horses. Most were fine, like Overlord Kaal’un and most likely his brother as well, but some nobles fell off their horses either stunned or in the worst cases, convulsing.

“Are you alright, Your Highness?” asked Overlord Kaal’un.

“I’m fine.”

“Good. Stay close to me and my shades. We shall ensure your safety.”

The Angel lowered its arms and raised them back to the sky. Now, it fired off concentrated bolts of Essence, decimating entire groups of people at a time.

Raising his sword into the air the Overlord yelled, “Vanguard, charge!”

Kieran saw the hundred or so Colorless stamp their spears on the ground in acknowledgement. Though they faced away from him, he knew their chests were raised. They let out a rallying cry, “For Kheonyth Kingdom!”

Kieran turned to Alexandra one last time, “Can’t you do something?”

“No,” she said.

Men and women without gifts surged forward. The angel’s movement stuttered, but it raised its arms and erased the rushing Colorless with bolts of Essence. The impact shook the ground. Bodies flew through the air, crashing down onto the ground, limp. Kieran’s feet moved on their own. A hand on each arm caught him.

“Don’t, Young Master,” Teal begged.

“Stop,” said Alexandra. “I have told you before. You are a prince. Your life cannot compare to that of ordinary people. From the moment they were born, they were fated to give up their lives.”

He yanked his arms free, not wanting to listen to her lecture. The Overlord was watching their interaction. Kieran’s expression twisted as more of the Colorless were killed. Hundreds of them had already died. The survivors rushed up the base of the hill, dismantling the barricades and pushing against the first line of defenders. A horn sounded and the rest of the armies followed in the bloody wake of the vanguard.

The angel’s attention was still elsewhere, focused on the previous targets.

The army crashed into the defenses without bombardment from the angel. Arrows and bolts of Essence rained down on them, but they didn’t stop. The plan was based on their overwhelming numbers, at least 3 to 1 by their estimates, and banked on a quick victory. The main forces of the Marharden Empire as well as Kheonyth’s were still recovering from the last battle. Save for some soldiers, most of these men were recent levies.

Kieran stepped over the body of one of the fallen Colorless and had to face away.

The angel refocused its attention and cut swathes in the frontline. It didn’t seem to tire nor did it seem to have a conscience as it killed friendlies alike. More powerful demons, Middle Demons at least, dashed through the openings and lunged at its steel throat. The angel’s gears turned and its wings arched back. In one swift motion, it impaled all that attacked with its sharpened feathers. Their screams filled the air as their bodies withered until they were nothing more than husks. With a flourish, the angel discarded their corpses.

Kieran activated Raah, and saw its aura of Essence flicker, but it was getting stronger at the core. A second later, the angel was blinding. From its hands it unleashed more blasts of energy. One flew at them, only to be blocked by a shining barrier created by the Overlord. From behind the angel, more men crested the hills. Some were knights, and following the command of their leader, carved through the frontline.

The fighting was fierce. He felt his heart race as their soldiers failed to fight back against the knights and the angel continued its onslaught.

Then he heard a short, yet powerful cheer from another side of the Red Hills. They must have broken through.

In the moment he wasn’t looking, the angel had impaled more Blessed and absorbed their Essence. Their eyes met and it cocked its head. A chill ran down his spine. Alexandra was here. The Overlord was here. There was nothing to fear, right?

“It is time,” Overlord Kaal’un said, signaling his shades. They ran to meet the knights in battle. Their swords clashed. The shades dug their claws into the knights’ sides and the knights retaliated with powerful kicks. While they were busy, the Overlord unveiled a lance given to him by a shade. It shined with Essence. He got off his horse, raised his arm back, and with a running start, hucked the lance at the angel.

The mechanical doll blasted the lance, eroding the coated Essence and slowing it. With one hand, the angel caught the projectile thrown with enough force to pierce a tree clean through. But it was too distracted with the first one.

A second lance flew through the air and destroyed one of its wings completely. The machine looked at the wound with a look Kieran could only describe as surprise, even though its face never changed. The angel threw away the first lance and dodged the third. Its face shook as it raised a single hand at them. Essence gathered at its palm, concentrated and powerful. The Overlord erected a barrier around them. Alexandra pushed Kieran behind her, “This may get dangerous.”

“It’ll be fine, I think…” Teal said.

“There’s nothing fine about this!”

Then, a single bone white wing appeared behind the angel.