Daybreak:Alpha Chapter

Chapter 2 - A Familial Duty

"It's starting."

Kaede pushed Pascal's levitating chair up to the ridge, where they had a perfect view of the Hafren river crossing. A thin veneer of snow covered the ground and she could see her breath in the freezing air, but the army's assault troops didn't seem to mind as they forded the icy waters.

Showers of arrows criss-crosssed over the waterline as the Lotharin archers and the Cataliyan bowmen duelled. Cold steel fell like icy rain upon both the defending phalanxes and the towering attackers. But while the rows of southern spearmen thinned under the continuous barrage, the lumbering oak and yew giants hardly even flinched as they made their way across.

The four-legged migratory trees shrugged off flaming arrows and withstood infused explosive spells with mere injuries. The Lotharin mages had hardened the vanguard's bark into fire-resistant ironwood before laying on even more protective spells. Soon the walking trees emerged onto the shores and smashed into lines of Cataliyan spearmen. Their wooden appendages flailed about their thick trunks, cleaving into formations and hurling entire squads at a time into the air like rag dolls.

The Cataliyan military machine was known for their professional Ghulam heavy cavalry and composite bowmen. But their typical infantrymen were nothing more than conscripts motivated by cries of holy war and martyrdom. Against the Lotharins' new arboreal herd, those men never stood a chance and their formations quickly began to collapse.

Seeing the front lines buckling, the Cataliyan horse archers at the rear discharged one last volley before turning to flee. They ran straight into the glowing embers of the 'Polar Cross' Oriflamme, as Edith-Estellise had led a small group of flight-capable armigers across the marshy terrain in the south and flanked the Cataliyan defense force.

"All too easy," Kaede declared with pride. She had helped the Princess in preparing for this opposed river crossing, although her contributions were little more than studying her magical map to pick out the ideal location for assault.

"It is just a rear guard, albeit a substantial one," Pascal spoke dryly in his weak voice. "Maybe as much as ten thousand. But the infidels have already withdrawn east and south. I reckon they are crossing the Gwilen River even as we speak."

He then let out a deep exhale.

"You two were too careful and waited too long."

"We're the ones winning now on this front," Kaede scowled a hint as she felt the need to defend herself. "There's no reason for us to take unnecessary risks and throw it all away."

The Cataliyans had gambled and lost almost three brigades of elite cavalry at the Battle of Glywysing. That still left thirty thousand men besieging the city of Roazhon. Though with their best troops destroyed and their reinforcements sunk off the coast of Lysardh Point, they had no chance of taking the city before a major Lotharin counteroffensive.

However, Princess Sylviane had also been licking her wounds since the pyrrhic victory at Glywysing. Pascal had almost died and Duke Lionel suffered a blow to the head that left him unconscious for days. The healers left orders for both to rest and recover even after a week's passing, depriving Sylviane of her two best tacticians.

News had it that the Cataliyan commander -- Baha ad-Din Salim ibn Ziyad -- survived the catastrophe at Glywysing and made it back to his army with the ragtag remnants of the three brigades. Facing an accomplished foe that they could not help but respect, both Sylviane and Kaede thought it was best to take the steady route and risk nothing.

Pascal did not respond, although Kaede could feel him brooding as he continued to stare through her eyes. The enchanted blindfold was still wrapped around his head to facilitate his eyes' recovery. Though Kaede thought it might at least make him less jittery to at least feel like he was present at the battle.

"Look--"

Kaede skipped over there as her gaze turned to the northeast where flaring spells lit up the morning sky. Colonel von Mackensen's Knights Phantom clashed with the Cataliyan wasteland drakes over the orchards south of Roazhon. He had led Roazhon's defenders to sally forth from the city just as they agreed over Farspeak communications. However, it was clear from the chaotic air battle that the Cataliyan had been prepared for this and used their drakes as a second rearguard to buy time -- likely to retreat across the Gwilen River as Pascal surmised.

"They should still have enough time to capture the enemy's artillery train," Kaede positively remarked. "No way the Cataliyans will withdraw their siege equipment in time."

"Yes... it will make up for the fact I lost all of the Lotharins' heavy siege at Gwilen," Pascal commented dryly.

Kaede frowned. She had grown so used to Pascal's shameless confidence that she was unused to him doubting himself. It felt unnatural, and she didn't like it one bit.

"And their sacrifice diminished the Cataliyans' numbers so severely that they could not force an assault of Roazhon when they arrived," she put one reassuring hand on Pascal's shoulder. "You tried everything you could to change the balance of power on this front. There is no shame in that."

"What good is trying?" Pascal's bitterness picked away at the weak spot in her argument. "The results are all that matter."

I just said-- Kaede almost retorted before she relaxed with a sigh.

I guess everyone gets depressed once in a while... even Pascal.

Crouching down besides his levitating chair, Kaede wrapped her thin arms around his head and shoulders in a tight embrace. Thousands of troops assembling for the river crossing could see the two of them in the open, but Kaede didn't care as she gently asserted to him:

"You were the one who bled our enemies white during Battle of Gwilen River. You were the one who devised the plan to withdraw into Ceredigion, luring their elite troops away to delay their assault. You were the one who seized upon the opportunity to ambush their reinforcements at Lysardh Point. You were the one who shattered the enemy right wing and threw all their advantages into chaos at Glywysing!

"Without you, the Lotharins' Avorican front would have collapsed before Gwendolyn even had the opportunity to intervene! The common soldier may not understand that," she thought of his new moniker, the Deathbringer. "But every lord and officer educated in the ways of war knows whom they owe and should be grateful to!"

The familiar girl poured her encouragement and assurance across the empathic channel that they shared. She could feel the dark, gloomy mist lifting a hint on his end, at least enough for a wry chuckle to emerge from his lips:

"I think you greatly overestimate the military wisdom of the typical Lotharin officer."

Kaede couldn't help but giggle at his condescending tone. Now this is the Pascal I know!

His trials weren't over. She knew he would still hit many road bumps in his long journey towards recovery, and every one of them could spell another bout of depression for him. Though as long as she could help keep his emotions afloat, she was sure she could keep the worst damage in check.

After all, contrary to popular belief, what didn't kill a person wouldn't necessarily make them stronger. Too many leaders survived bitter struggles that left them seemingly 'tougher', but it came at great costs that their nation would be forced to bear. Every loss had a chance to leave deep mental scars, hardening the mind and anesthetizing the heart in exchange for the steely will to carry on.

History would later blame such rulers for being 'evil' and 'tyrannical', rarely remembering the callous circumstances that shaped them into being.

Kaede kissed the side of Pascal's bandaged head as she returned her gaze to the front lines. She could see the cerulean glow of Princess Sylviane's embers, flying up and down the icy river and couraging her men forward. She remembered that night when she embraced the Rhin-Lotharingie heir, as the latter wailed in the depth of grief over the death of her closest companions.

A mercy from God that they both survived, the Samaran girl thought of the infamous 'man of steel' and his romantic story gone wrong.

I do not wish to see a 'Stalin' emerge on this world.