A new batch of recruits will be trained, drilled, and transformed into soldiers of the Empire. That is the only good news to come from my reports. Roughly 8,000 brave men and women will be sent to the front to battle against the Dog threat. With how the war is going and the fatality rate of every engagement. By the end of this year, only 2,000 of the 8,000 soldiers of these recruits I’ve sent will live. Many will die or forever be crippled. I just hope the Gods can make things easier for my frontline soldiers. But I need to focus.

  A new Commander needs to be chosen to establish our foothold on the eastern front. So far, they are holding well, but that doesn’t stop the fact that with every second that passes, the closer the Dogs get to the capital. For now, I can just do nothing but wait for someone to take Victor’s place.

  I wrap the magical necklace around my fingers, feeling how its simple chain rubs against the tips of my fingers. Laya is a decent Commander, from her reports, she should be able to mount an effective skirmish campaign and hold out in the East. Though at the same time, Chase is also a good pick to keep the Dogs bogged down, as he is efficient in defensive warfare. Maybe Charles…

  Before I can figure out a replacement, Huson barges into my office with Olivia just behind him.

  ‘What is it?’ I demand.

  ‘The Eastern Front has fully collapsed, the Dogs are advancing, and they are heading towards the capital.’

  My hand turns purple as the chain tightens around my palm. I should be afraid, terrified that they’ve broken the line. No! This is beyond frustrating, those furry shits broke through my defences and the Gods are not giving me the luxury of a fucking break! How dare they! How dare they go through my line and march to my capital!

  I snarl, ‘how many?’

  ‘Unknown, I’ll have the garrison force ready themselves in case you want us to march out to face them.’

  Just my luck, give me a warning that they are coming, but not the numbers. The scout who delivered the message must be a moron of the highest order. But fine, I can manage all of this. I have to.

  ‘We will take anyone who can ride a horse; the rest will stay behind and defend the city in case they get past us. Make sure to also get the message to the Dragon Fleet to defend the city, if they are okay with doing their job and help us fight them off.’

  Huson gives me a salute before he runs off. I put my necklace on before reaching for my war hammer. It will be a good enough tool to bludgeon those beasts to death if the bastards ever get too close.

  Yet through my anger, Olivia walks up to me with a painting in hand. ‘I made this.’

  I don’t have time for this. She lightly yelps as I snatch the picture from her hand and create a little tear at the bottom left corner.

  It’s a painting of the tree with the pink leaves. The same tree at the centre of the palace gardens. My anger, that rage inside my stomach, fades the more I look at the picture. For some reason, it reminds me of my conversation with Hannah. About how the Dogs are more than what I think they are.

  ‘What do you think?’ She says while holding her hand.

  ‘It’s… it’s good. You did a good job, kid.’ I awkwardly reply before handing it back. Thinking back on what Hannah said to me before storming off. I see what she means now, they are more than just cattle.

  Olivia smiles before walking up to hug me. Throwing my anger off and replacing it with something else. Confusion? How is she even doing this? I shake my head to focus on what is important, yet her innocence keeps snapping me back to a sense of calmness.

  ‘Um… thanks. But I need to get going, can you let go, please?’

  Olivia tugs on my shirt to get my attention. ‘When are you going to come back?’

  Now that is a question I can’t answer with certainty. ‘I don’t know, but hopefully soon.’

  ‘Are you going to meet ma?’ Her ears perk up. ‘Can I come along?’

  ‘No,’ I admit. ‘Let’s just say it will be the same as when you came with me.’

  She lets go of my shirt, taking a few steps back, knowing what I mean. ‘Will it be dangerous?’

  ‘Always.’ I bluntly reply, not considering what she is thinking before I head to the armoury. ‘But I’ll be back. I promise. When I do, I hope to see you finish that portrait.’

  On the march, through the field and marsh. We never tire, we never get our rest until we arrive at our destination. All of our hearts called for a sense of urgency. A silent and unwritten agreement that we must push through sleep, hunger, and thirst to fight the Dogs and give the capital time to set up its defences. None of us believes we will win, not even Huson will lie to them to boost their confidence. We went through our death march; now the Gods demand we prove our worth, for we have to hold the line. Our Empire demands that we do.

  It takes a week to travel to Uthra’s Passage, or as the uneducated will call it, The Gash. A canyon made when the world ended, believed to be where the last battle where magic truly died. This is where I will hold my ground. After the liberation of multiple mines like Daltra Mine and plantations like The Villa. I will be outnumbered. This will be where I will die. Battling near the edge of the great wound to prevent certain defeat.

  My army is already in formation, 500 cavalry soldiers. Reinforcements from the North should come, but they won’t arrive in time. The best I can do in a traditional sense is slow them down, at least stall them before help can arrive at the capital. Many might call me foolish for marching into battle, which will ensure my own death. But if the Dogs win here, there is nothing my Empire can do to stop them. I need to think of something, a plan to make their victory not worth it and ensure my people have a chance.

  Worried soldiers talk amongst themselves as they can see smoke in the distance. The Dogs are coming. Those beasts will arrive soon. There must be hundreds, maybe thousands of them, if I have to make a guess.

  ‘Anything?’ I ask Huson as he gallops his horse next to mine.

  Huson shakes his head. ‘No, the Pretorian Guard chose to stay behind and defend the capital. Nothing from the fleet so far.’

  Bastards! Fucking Bastards! I can understand the guard staying behind; their main purpose is to defend our Empress and our faith. But the fleet has no excuse! They should’ve answered our call days ago. Bloody traitors, the whole lot of them are!

  ‘What about the Dogs? Anything about them?’ I ask, trying my best to ignore the sour news.

  ‘Besides the biggest Dog on the planet leading them, I can’t tell you much.’

  A shame, but one I understand. This place is difficult to have scouts sent out without being killed or detected. Nor do I desire to waste my most valuable soldiers.

  No, perhaps I don’t need to waste anything. I don’t even need to have my army fight. The largest brute, Midrax. He will lead the horde, and I know from our past interactions that he is the sort that will take any sort of interaction with us as a joke, or entertain it at least. The Dog will talk first.

  Emerging into view, the Dogs get into their formations, their crossbows behind their shield line. They seem to have a strategy to counter my cavalry. I will give them some credit; they are quick to adapt to any situation. It makes me wonder what life would be like if they were our equals instead of our enemies.

  ‘Hold the line. Fight them like we fought in the crossing. I’ll let you organise the men while I speak to our opponent.’ I order Huson before riding off into the middle of no man's land to talk with their leader.

  Expectedly, the big brute comes to me for a simple talk. Their giant axes resting on their belt, and it seems he got roughened up at least as parts of his left cheek are gone. At least my soldiers hurt him as best they could.

  The Dog smiles. ‘So, we meet again. I thought y’all retreat and hide in castles when I broke through your line.’ He looks over my shoulder, ‘and it seems I have more soldiers than you.’

  ‘You should know me well enough not to underestimate me, Midrax. Not after what happened at the crossing.’

  He growls, then his face lowers when he realises I said his name by surprise. ‘Then I don’t want to waste my time. Let me guess, you want me to surrender?’

  ‘No,’ I sharply reply. While it is clear that he possibly has three times the amount of soldiers that I have on the field. What I can bet on is that he will avoid a direct fight.

  ‘Really? So what do you demand?’

  ‘I want to acknowledge that you are right. I don’t want to waste my time on this battle; I have more important things to attend to and papers to read. So, I propose a challenge. One that will be quick and the winner takes all.’

  ‘I like that,’ he chuckles. ‘What do you have in mind, Cinari?’

  ‘A champion's challenge! To the death, of course. I doubt you know what it is, so I’ll tell you. Either you or someone of your choice fights for your army. If they lose, the whole army loses and must accept the terms of the winner. So tell me, mutt! Do you accept?’

  ‘A fight to the death?’ He pauses for a second, licking his top lip to see if it was all worth it. ‘Alright, what are your terms?’

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  ‘If I win, you and your army will retreat to the Galire Desert. You and your army will not pillage or take from the land as you return to the south. In turn, I promise that I will not harass or engage your forces while you retreat. What will be your terms?’

  ‘The surrender of your entire army and the map of every mine and plantation.’ He takes a step towards me, trying to intimidate me. Even while I sit on my horse, he towers over me. ‘I know the maps are fakes, and I am not eager to waste any more time trying to find my people. Those are my terms, do you accept?’

  ‘I do,’ I reach my hand out to the Dog to finalise the deal. Without saying anything to each other, he shakes on it. We both depart to our own soldiers. One that I know I have some hope of winning.

  Huson frowns as I approach, like the prospect of an unwinnable battle is certain. ‘What is the plan, sir?’

  ‘I have negotiated with their leader, and he agreed to a champion's challenge.’ I reply.

  He cocks a brow, ‘and you are fighting? Or is someone else going to do it for you?’

  ‘No, I want you to be my champion.’

  Huson frowns, unsure if I was mocking him or if I’ve gone mad. Though I can tell he needs an explanation.

  ‘There is no one I can trust, not one person in this army, I believe you can win against him or whoever he might choose as his champion. You are not just the only person capable of representing our Empire, but the best soldier among us.’

  Huson thinks for a moment before he gives a nod. ‘Alright, I’ll fight. I'd better get a medal out of this.’ He jokes.

  I punch him in the shoulder as we ride to the middle of the field. ‘You’ll get more than that once this is over and only if you win.’

  Little does he know, he deserves every honour in the book. I will do everything in my power to give him his recognition. Even if it will ruin my career. Huson has served since the start of this war; men like him are a dime a dozen and have proven himself far more than anyone else. The island will never thank or know him, but he is our hero we need.

  As we make it to the middle of the field before Midrax does. A thought comes to mind, a reminder of how I destroyed my desk in frustration and what Freya said to me and how the necklace saved my life when an arrow struck it. He will need it more than I.

  I hand Huson over the magic necklace the Shaman gave me a year ago. ‘Use this instead of your shield, punch him with it if you have to.’

  ‘Huh, why?’ Huson says as he wraps the chain around his left hand.

  Before I can give a full explanation, Midrax and one of his trusted Dog approach us. I keep silent, not wanting them to know what it can do. ‘Trust me, it will help you.’

  The Dogs wait at the other side, determined to see who is the challenger and champion of each other’s opposing armies. Huson jumps down from his horse and approaches the centre

  ‘Who am I facing?’ He shouts while resting one hand on his sword.

  With a rotten smile, Midrax approaches Huson, his axes already drawn. ‘I am, he is just an observer.’ He gestures to the orange mane Dog before looking back at Huson. ‘Ah, we met before. You were at the crossing? Tell me, what is your name so I can remember when I tell this tale to your Empress.’

  Huson unsheathes his sword and aims it at the Dog. Placing himself in a defensive stance before announcing who he is. ‘I am Warrant Officer Kikaru Huson, the Empress’ Champion.’

  A smirk instinctively forms on my face. Out of anyone I know, he is perhaps the only one who can easily dispatch a Dog without breaking a sweat. He will win this, for that is his purpose.

  They circle each other, the Dog’s armour clanking with every step he takes. Waiting for the other to make the first move, or at least taking time to study their movements. The Dog is smart enough to see that a colonist is not a joke.

  Huson, in a flash, lunges towards the giant Dog, using his sword to slide in and out of the gap of the Dog’s armour and lightly cutting their right shin. Midrax didn’t have time to react, letting out a roar as he stumbled back while trying to get his footing.

  ‘Cunt!’ Midrax mumbles under his breath before he charges towards Huson. He rolls under the behemoth, but before he can counterattack, the giant Dog swings their axes frantically. Forcing Huson to be on the move and dodge the creature's attacks. Though keeping their sword away to not damage it for blocking his blows will only lead to certain death.

  However, he slips on a rock. Making him unable to step out of the way as Midrax hurls an axe at the left side of his neck. Quickly, Huson raises his left hand in time for the blade of the axe to shatter when it strikes the necklace.

  Midrax fumbles for a moment, utterly incapable of understanding what happened as he looks at his broken axe in a stupor. Giving Huson enough time to thrust his sword at the Dog’s throat, only for Midrax to move his neck slightly and move his shoulder up to catch the blade between the metal plates to snap it.

  Though that doesn’t stop either of them, as they continue to attack and counterattack one another. Both are incapable of harming another without putting themselves at risk. The other Dog and I watch, observing anxiously at how close the fight is. The victor is yet to be determined, and they are both getting tired.

  ‘Why can’t you just fucking die!’ The giant screams, his blood boiling as they struggle to land a hit on their nimble foe.

  While Huson is fast, one thing is also becoming clear. Huson is slowing down. His footwork is becoming sloppy, and without a blade, he can’t keep this up forever.

  The necklace, he needs to use the bloody necklace. ‘Punch him!’ I shout at Huson, trying to get him to use the magical item as a weapon.

  Huson tries to focus on the duel, but he glances at the necklace for a moment before returning his focus to Midrax. Finding his opportunity, he lunges and punches Midrax in the chest.

  Bang!

  The black iron plate crumbled where he’s hit. Struggling to breathe and trying to grasp for oxygen. The brute drops their weapons as they fall to their knees while they spit out blood. He realises a wet belch, one that I can tell something is seriously wrong inside.

  He looks down at his defeated foe. Wheezing and coughing while he claws at his chest plate, trying to take it off. Huson heads over to the injured Dog and whispers something to him before finishing the Dog off with a swift punch to the side of the head.

  For his hard work, and in celebration. Huson collapses onto his knees. Panting from exhaustion after the battle. He is a hero, he deserves to have some rest and more for what he has done today. But before we can celebrate, I need to make sure the Dogs honour their end of the deal.

  The Dog observer glares at me as I approach him. His mouth sealed shut so as not to have the humiliation of admitting defeat. ‘We won! As agreed, your army will turn back and head south.’

  ‘I don’t trust you. How do I know we have safe passage down south?’

  That’s a fair question, while I can organise the ambush of their entire army and wipe them out. It will hurt future generations if they take part in these duels. I have to keep my word. They don’t deserve safe passage, but I should do what is right.

  ‘Wave green flags, I will alert my armies that you have been defeated and agree to head back to where you came after a champion's challenge. I promise no harm comes your way if you stick to your terms. But if you decide to fight or you march north once you arrive at the desert. We will fight, and I will kill you.’

  The Dog nods, and we shake hands before he heads back to his army. But before he can, he turns to face me. ‘What is your name?’

  ‘General Volas Regali.’

  ‘Thank you for letting us walk away,’ he says while he departs.

  I don’t know why he thanked me, but I will take it at least. I am more thankful that I don’t have to fight this battle. Though I will need to rebuild the eastern flank.

  Huson chuckles, still on his knees near the dead body of the Dog he slew. ‘We leaving?’ He tiredly says to me.

  ‘Yes, we’re going home now.’ I smile; it feels weird to smile after so long. ‘Come on, Empress’ Champion. You deserve a party in your honour.’

  ‘No, no party. How about you, me, and Jack have dinner together? I want something quiet.’

  After jumping off my horse to help him up. I pat him down to clean the bloody fool. ‘I love that idea. Though I dislike the prospect of being a third wheel, I think after today, it is acceptable for me to make an exception.’ I reply as we both hop on our steeds.

  Seeing that he is victorious, our army cheers, praising Huson’s name. A while ago, they wouldn’t even bother acknowledging him because of his colonist status. But now, they see him as their hero and champion. He fought for all of them and won. The man deserves to be respected.

  The world will remember this day. A battle is prevented, lives have been saved, and defeat avoided. Huson, a colonist, and now Empress’ Champion. Deserves more than just medals. In truth, the Empire will forever be in his debt. My friend deserves everything and more.