Chapter 2- A step towards defeat, can Frostala truly be beat?

A cold, empty feeling seeps in.

Overflowing with a flood of possibilities, my whole being feels shaken. 

I can’t hear anything. I can’t see anything. I feel like I’m been swallowed into a pit of anxiety.

Fern: “Devilynn!”

Reality sets in again. The once fairytale like room and attire, feels like a nightmare. I feel trapped and want to escape. 

The King of Frostala is announcing the steps we’ll take to win the war and spouting other encouraging nonsense. Now that the story isn’t going my way, I am wavered in my capabilities.

Fern: “Devilynn, you’re going to command us through the war and lead us to victory, right?”

Fern’s gives off a serious, yet still cutesy. face and glances up towards me.

I want to look away, run out the door, grab my things from the dorms, and disappear. I feel like a fool. A fool who has been living a dream that weren’t meant to dream. I’m a coward- I’m no hero.

King Harness: “-And I know that we are being led in the great hands of our new commander, Sir Devilynn Lafair, who will rise to the occasion and bring us to victory!”

As the sound of pitiful cheering fills the room, I think to myself...

Even if I wanted to, there’s no turning back now.

***

Throughout the next few days, I find myself and the other knights packing essential supplies into carriages and putting different teams together to lead through the multiple battles we’ll face during this war.

Just like the original story, Fern declares that she will join the rest of the knights in the war and that the first battle will take place at Fort Lawrences, a region which is neutral to both kingdoms.

Tonight, is the last peaceful night that either kingdom will see in the next year. Although the war comes to a conclusion much faster than a typical one, it is one that feels nonstop in it's entirety and brings all soldiers to the end of their wits.

While everyone else is fast sleeping, I am writing down all the information, that I can remember about the enemies we will face inside my camper tent. I flicker down the lantern to lower the brightness, as to not wake the other soldiers sharing the tent. I bring out a bottle of black ink and a bird-wing feather from the inside of the desk.

I let out a big sigh and begin writing. Even if I am not fit for the role of a Hero, I need to attempt to play it in order to survive.

In the original story, the Kingdom of Robal had five main villains that come together to attempt to defeat the Kingdom of Frostala. The first and most powerful of the villains is King Killian Bloodsworth. He is the commander and ruler of the Kingdom of Robal. Within the story, he is claimed as the most horrendous and cruelest of the monsters and feared by all.

The next three enemies are the three generals within the war. General Willowcrus, General Birch, and General Richi. General Willowcrus is the main general of the three. She is extremely strong and leads most of the first battles during the war. Despite being a very headstrong individual, she is not very level-headed and thinks with her fist. She has a unique birthmark on her neck that makes her easily identify. 

The second general, General Richi appears later in the war. He is only leading one the battles near the end of the story but leads as a co-commander throughout most of the later battles. He is level-headed and of all three generals the most well-rounded. 

And lastly General Birch…there’s not too much written about his character within the story. He is considered one of the handsomer characters in the enemies’ kingdom and he is consistly joined in battle with either King Killian or the Princess Shinkyo. He is the Princess’ royal guard when he is not going through war. Fans have called him the Princess' White Knight.

Speaking of Princess Shinkyo, she is the last enemy to be feared. Despite little being written about her within the story, she is the most challenging of the enemies to defeat. Shinkyo is the tactic behind most of the defeating battles and her quick-wits influence a handful of the Kingdom of Frostala’s knights to retreat during the last battle of the story.

And that’s all the villains.

I lift up my lantern closer to the paper and reread over everything I’ve wrote in my head. Looking at it on a single piece of paper makes it seem as though there is very little threats. I place the lantern and the paper down on the desk before me and then place my hands over my face.

Tomorrow’s the first battle at Fort Lawrences. 

Can I really lead us to victory? 

I close my eyes and an image of Eri appears in my mind.

How are you going to protect her if you can’t protect your own Kingdom?

That's right. I release my hands from my face and blow out my lantern.

I’m the Hero. I'm Devilynn Lafair and I’m the only one who can do this.

***

The gentle sound of birds chirping, wind gushing, and horses galloping break us in a new day. Wait, horses galloping?

I quickly lift myself out of bed and rush outside of the camper-tent. Coming from the Northern side of the region is a group of roughly 200 knights on horses rushing at our camp sight. They are all wearing dark colored armor with hints of emerald running through it.

The knights of Robal have arrived. Before I can caught my breath, I run inside the camper and shout at all of my knights.

Devilynn: “Everyone wake up! Robal’s forces are here!”

The moans of tired and cranky knights can be heard throughout the camper as they quickly throw on suits of armor. I rush over to my suit and viciously throw and strap my armor on.

***

Rushing down to the middle grounds of Fort Lawrences, I bring my horse to a stop. My knights around me also pull their horses to a stop. After a couple minutes waiting, the knights of Robal enter into frame and I can hear my heart coming through my chest.

Glancing back and forth at the enemies, I try to find one of the Generals leading the war.

None. Not a single one.

My eyes feel like their shaking as I center them back into the middle of the troops. Despite there being no general, a different thought creeps into my mind and send chills down within me. Wasn’t the Kingdom of Robal suppose to be inhabited by monsters?

Then why do all the troops faces look…human?

???: “I see, so you actually have the mannerisms to meet your enemy at the middle grounds of a war. And here I thought you were all barbaric.”

My body freezes. The sound of a deranged angry man comments out to me. Although I've never heard his voice, I've always imaged it would sound like this. I take what feels like an eternity to look up.

A man with shockingly golden locks of hair and confident eyes to match is looking at me with a manicous grin on his face. Unlike the rest of the troops, he is wearing a blacken crown on his head.

It’s King Killian.

I like to say the first words that came out of my mouth were something heroic to my team, or a good comeback, but what I really said was-

Devilynn: “We are so ****ed.”