Nerluce did not so much see the Tilican reinforcements as he felt their impact.

Despite all the death around him, Nerluce was still one of the backmost soldiers. Many of the most dangerous opponents - such as Magickians and pikemen - were already long dead before Nerluce reached the combat. What was left were those lucky enough to survive and stubborn enough not to fall back.

When the Tilican reinforcements came that was no longer the case.

A lot of things were no longer the case, actually.

First of all, Nerluce was sure that when they started this battle, Itoroh had a numerical advantage. Now they were outnumbered two to one. Second of all, the open field design was meant to stop Tilica from having soldiers pop out of nowhere. That also apparently did not work when Tilica split their forces at least several hours before Itoroh attacked. Third of all, Nerluce had been told all his life that Tilica people were stupid and savage in the ways of warfare.

Considering the enveloping technique, if Nerluce lived, he was going to roast every single history tutor he'd ever had in Itoroh.

But now Nerluce was pretty sure he was going to die and die a horrible gruesome death at that. When the Tilican reinforcements came into the struggle, Nerluce saw death in ways he'd never even dreamed it before. An archer took out the eye of a man next to Nerluce. A Magickian removed all of the blood from another person's body and let it spill onto the earth.

Nerluce set their horse on fire.

A pike missed Nerluce's shoulder by a couple of inches. A sword missed his side by even less. The ground churned and became unsteady. Nerluce suddenly had to watch where he was putting his feet while Ealatus swung, killing at random. At this point, Nerluce was just hoping that he was hitting Tilican soldiers but there was no way to tell.

They were all so muddy, so blood and sweat-drenched that the colors of their uniforms were almost invisible. But suddenly there were so many Tilican soldiers that it hardly mattered. If Nerluce threw a rock, he'd be sure to hit one. Gods. Nerluce felt sick. He could have killed one of his own and never known it. Everything was just going so quickly and Nerluce had to keep fighting and fighting because he knew the moment he stopped, he would die.

The field was utter chaos. The noise was too loud for anyone to hear orders. Lines were broken and soldiers jumbled together.

An air Magickian stole the air from Nerluce's lungs - and the lungs of several others around him. Ealatus carved through their flesh. They scream, burning alive, and Nerluce was released. He was not thanked, though. There was not time for that. They just had to keep killing and killing and killing.

At some point, a water Magickian dried Nerluce's clothes. Nerluce had no idea if they were friend or foe. They were using the water to kill and the mud became dirt and the blood clotted and grew heavy and Nerluce just slashed another person open. Organs were trampled under his straw shoes. He kept moving, he kept killing. There were few people left on horses now. Fewer still with Itoroh's colors.

Nerluce knew that Itoroh had been fighting longer but it still seemed a sign of the tides. Tilica was going to win this battle. Despite how much Itoroh bragged, being outnumbered this badly and against opponents who were considerably fresh, the odds of victory were slim to none. Coam had to know this too. She should have called a retreat.

But maybe she couldn't. It was possible she was dead. Nerluce tried not to think of it, but he couldn't see Eden anywhere. He tried not to think of his sister as dead. Her guts spilling out, her flesh peeling back, her skull crushed into fragments. Nerluce's boot went down on something and he tried not to think of who it was that would now be an unrecognizable pile of flesh and shattered bones.

And then... something hit.

Nerluce didn't feel it at first. He didn't even notice it at first. And then he tried to turn, only to be greeted with a burst of pain. Nerluce screamed though it was not as bad as when a wolf had bitten him down to his bone. It barely hurt at all. Nerluce just knew he screamed because a spear had mounted itself in the seams of his armor, burying itself in the back of Nerluce's shoulder.

The person who wielded the spear pushed and Nerluce felt the spear dig deeper into his muscle and bone. Shit. He screamed again and turned all of his might and Magick onto the person attacking him. They stopped pushing the spear in as their horse panicked because it was set ablaze.

The spear fell and Nerluce gasped. Shit. The wound was likely not a pretty one. A messy entrance and a messy exit. Shit. Nerluce needed to stop the bleeding. If he didn't it would probably die of blood loss. Shit, shit, shit! Nerluce needed a doctor but their doctors were back at camp and Nerluce wouldn't be able to make it there before he bled out. Shit. That meant he needed to make due.

He pulled Ealatus close and then closer and then told it to burn. It did. Burning the skin back together hurt more than puncturing it apart. Nerluce screamed again and the next person who tried to run at him with a sword got to discover the pain that Nerluce was in too. Nerluce sent Ealatus and they ran away, screaming and burning.

Nerluce stumbled forward, looking for his next opponent and find a bit of space. He squinted, uncertain. Shit. His mind felt fuzzy. The pain of the injury mixed with the chaos of battle... Nerluce couldn't focus anymore. He just had to keep moving. If he stopped he would die. He knew that and so he repeated it to himself over and over and over again. Nerluce did not want to die. He didn't want to die so he needed to keep going.

Shit. For what? Why was Nerluce so determined to get back to a life he hated? He staggered forward and burned the next person he saw. They kept coming. Nerluce slashed with his metal sword but it shattered against the person's armor.

Nerluce dropped the hilt and dodged out of the way.

The person disappeared. Nerluce stumbled again before he heard something again. Shit. What was the matter with his ears.

"Hebikoti," a person said.

Nerluce called Ealatus and leveled the blade at the person who thought the battlefield was an appropriate place to chat. And then it occurred to Nerluce that he was well and nicely surrounded by Tilican soldiers, all of them wielding weapons that could end Nerluce's life at an instant if they wished it. Ealatus flickered out of life. Shit.

"Hebikoti," the person said again. Nerluce looked at them and saw someone who stood a bit taller, who wore cloth a bit finer. Someone higher ranking. "You're a Hebikoti, right?"

"I am," Nerluce said.

The person spat on the ground. "Damn snake people."

They lunged and Nerluce removed one of his daggers and stuck them in the side. Shit. The reaction had been instantaneous. He hadn't even needed to think to do it. The person let out a cry of pain and stumbled backward.

"My name is Nerluce Hebikoti," Nerluce said, looking at the person who had tried to kill him with mild disgust. "And I will not die to such a half-hearted attack."

The person grunted and then came at Nerluce again. This was probably some vengeance scheme. They'd probably suffered at Coam's hands. Nerluce's other dagger clashed with their sword. Was it better if Nerluce just laid down and died? Would that be enough to stop this person, to make them leave? Nerluce knew it wasn't. They would keep killing and hating Nerluce's Clan and burning every village they found along the way.

Nerluce snarled and braced against every attack, not caring how ferocious they became. Nerluce could not die for this person. He could not do anything to right the wrong his ancestors had committed. All he could do was kill them before they killed more innocents and before they killed Nerluce.

"Luce!" a voice called.

Nerluce turned his head and almost lost his ear for it. He jumped back just in time, his attention split between the battle for his life he was fighting and the person who had called his name.

Coam.

She was alive. Nerluce let out a little breath of relief before his dagger met the much longer sword of his opponent. They exchanged a few blows but Nerluce couldn't get close to them at all. He had no way of wounding them. He had no way of killing him. Nerluce's throat clenched in panic. Was this how he died? Was this battle going to be where he finally, finally met his end?

Nerluce felt as though he'd been running away from death ever since he escaped the Wolf Woman. He ought to have died there. Death was chasing him, seeking to collect something that was long overdue. Now it seemed that it was finally here to collect. Now it seemed that Nerluce's blood would be spilled for the sins of his ancestors and the death he had cheated in the Ever Forest.

"Luce!" Coam screamed again.

He wanted to tell her sorry. He turned his head to look at his sister one last time. She was bloody and exhausted but alive. More alive than Nerluce felt. He dodged his opponent again. Even if he killed this person, he would not be able to escape with his life. The other people surrounding him would kill him for sure. No matter what happened, Nerluce was going to die. He was going to die.

Another, selfish, greedy thing inside of him told him to look again. Look at his sister, running over to save him. Gods. Nerluce knew she wouldn't get to him in time. He didn't have the energy to keep this up. He was weakening with every blow and his opponent knew that. Nerluce's breaths came in frantic, unsteady gasps. His hands were trembling so badly it was a miracle that he was able to keep a hold of his dagger.

"Luce!" Coam said.

Nerluce looked. Last time, he was sure now. And then he saw something. He saw a soldier coming at his sister from behind. She didn't see them. She didn't see them because she was too focused on trying to get to Nerluce who was a lost cause anyway.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

Nerluce didn't have time to think. He just knew three very important things. First, he was going to die no matter what happened next. Two, his sister was in danger. And three, Nerluce had a way to save her.

Abandon your morals.

Alright, Lord Father. Have it your way. As always. Nerluce didn't have anything to lose anymore anyway. His life was only meaningful to him, now and he wasn't all that important of a person. He had no one and nothing. He could never see his friends again. His family was mostly comprised of strangers and enemies.

Tears were in his eyes as he threw the dagger - not caring if it hit or not - and clasped his hands together.

Life and death were two sides of the same coin.

Both had been chasing Nerluce for a long, long time and now he finally let them catch him as he called to the plants of the field and the forest and everywhere else. He called to them. He called to them and commanded them. They were not his friend as the flame was but his subjects. They obeyed him and were eager to listen to his call. So when he called they came gleefully. So when he told them to kill, they did not hesitate.

The spirits sang, the wolves howled, the birds fluttered, the spiders weaved their webs, and Nerluce Hebikoti killed several thousand people with a silent command.