Chapter 2

The older man's words had left Kianic spiraling. He was a slave. Rounded up and captured by soldiers to serve some lord in their castle. Kianic felt empty inside, the stress of what he'd been facing had begun to take hold of him. His eyes blank in despair as he imagined what horrors his fate could result in.

The older man spoke again, "Compose yourself lad! This is no time to dwell on your sorrows." His voice firm in tone.

Kianic focused his eyes, and stared at the man. The man's words had brought him a sense of comfort. Respite knowing that at least there was one person worried for his well-being.

"What's your name old man?" Kianic asked the bald man.

The man softly snorted at being called an old man and replied, "My name is Nofre." He reached out his hand to Kianic to pick him up.

As Kianic reached out his hand, Nofre asked him, "What's yours lad?"

Kianic paused for a moment. He couldn't remember his name. His real name. The thought of forgetting who he was and replacing himself with Kianic left a bad taste in his mouth. But it was all he could remember.

"It's Kianic." He replied.

Nofre spoke, “It’s good you’ve calmed yourself. Now come, it’s soon time to go.”

“Go?” Kianic asked confusedly.

“We are war-slaves Kianic.” Nofre spoke firmly and continued, “You presence in the cells of this basement means you’re one too. We’ll be off to battle soon.”

Kianic’s eyes turned wide.

Nofre asked Kianic, “Have you been in war lad?”

“No! I-I haven’t!” Kianic stammered.

“Then I’ll protect you to the best of my ability lad, but know that you’ll have to watch out for your own safety.” Nofre replied.

The rest of the slaves rose up as well as the rumbling of several people running began atop the basement.

Kianic panicked as he realized the gravity of the situation. He would be in war?! He hadn’t so much as fought before, what business did he have in war?!

His rambling thoughts were cut off as a soldier came in whistling whilst another one yelled.

The soldier screamed at the top of his lungs, “Your weapons are upstairs! Grab them and mobilize!”

Several soldiers entered the basement, all armored in leather and hardened cloth. They began to unlock the cages screaming at the slaves to go.

Havoc ensued as the basement began to empty out. People running atop the stairs and yelling all throughout the building. Kianic followed them to find an assortment of weapons. They were of horrible quality, chipped and scratched terribly.

Kianic barely had enough time to grab a sword as he was pushed by the crowd of soldiers and slaves running towards the gates.

He followed the crowd led by soldiers lining the streets, and passed through the open gate of the walled city. Fear, confusion and a feeling of intense excitement gripped him. His heart raced at the thought of participating in a war. Is this the place he would die?! What was going to happen to him?!

“Follow me lad!” screamed Nofre from the distance. Signalling to Kianic to follow him. Nofre held an axe and a half-broken shield.

Kianic ran to him, and the pair raced to the site of the battle.

They ran to the top of a hill a distance away from the city, and Kianic saw the horror of war. Thousands of people clashing, the sound of swords, shields and spears echoing from the plains beyond the hill they sat upon.

All the slaves and soldiers upon the hill began to run downwards and so did Kianic.

Kianic screamed in anger, confusion and fear as he ran towards the chaos in front of him. Tears coming from his eyes and flying away while he rushed down the hill.

He didn’t wear any armor, still in the rags he wore when he entered this world. Holding a chipped and worn sword.

As Kianic reached the battlefield, he held the grip of the sword with his two hands and swung, slashing a man holding a spear that pointed to one of the other slaves from his cell. The man fell to the ground and died.

Kianic was suddenly met by a spear cutting his thigh and he fell to the ground, screaming from the pain. The spearman pulled away and readied for another attack before he was axed down by Nofre.

“Get up lad!” screamed Nofre.

Kianic rose and picked up his sword. He noticed it was more damaged than before. His observations were stopped as an enemy soldier approached him. The man wore leather armor and held a sword. He didn’t have a helmet.

Kianic rushed him as he thrusted with his blade at the soldiers head. The soldier parried the blade and Kianic’s sword was broken as half the sword flew away deeper into the battlefield while he held the other half. His hand hurt immensely from the force of the blow.

The soldier stepped forward and thrusted his blade. Kianic quickly stepped to the side in an effort to dodge the blade and was deeply cut in his arm and upper torso. He knew that if he fell to the ground this time, he would die.

Kianic caught the soldier by surprise as he leapt towards the soldier and tackled him to the ground. The soldier attempted to use his sword but Kianic held the soldier’s hand down with his bleeding right hand and punched the soldier in the face with his left. The punch made the soldier lose his grip on the sword.

The soldier punched Kianic back and the two began a dogfight on the ground as Kianic sat on top of the soldier.

In a sudden swift of motion, Kianic grabbed the soldiers sword by the blade and pressed it against the soldier’s neck. The soldier attempted to push it away but Kianic leveraged his weight and killed the soldier. As the body laid lifeless, Kianic removed his hands from the blade. They were both bleeding, cut by the blade.

As he looked at his hands Kianic felt exhausted and he collapsed on the floor. Falling into a deep sleep.

He was suddenly woken up by Nofre, “Wake up boy!”

Looking around, Kianic noticed that his collapse had lasted longer than he thought. There were no longer any enemies around them and the front of the battle was nowhere to be seen.

The sounds of the war had changed, cheering could be heard echoing throughout the plains.

Kianic looked at the sky, it was sunset. The clouds had begun to turn a crimson red. Kianic closed his eyes and listened to the cheers. He could feel the wind, it was calming.

It was over, the battle had ended.