Story of Raidarian Peace

Rain tied the horse to the nearest post. Then he followed Bern again. When they arrived, Rain saw a wide formation of villagers on both sides of him.

“If what your commander said is true, then we shouldn’t be here,” Rain said. “They won’t be able to return if the legions are already on the way. Maybe we won’t either.”

Rain was deeply saddened by what he saw and realized.

“Is the great raidarian afraid?” Bern asked. “Either way, you have no choice, you’ve already understood.”

Rain silently looked at Bern, then turned his gaze to the forest.

“Someone has to do it,” Bern said.

“Lucky if even one returns,” Rain said.

“That’s why there are so many of us.”

Bern looked up.

“Burning arrow! Let’s go.”

“Well, let’s go,” Rain replied to Officer Bern.

“You go – I’m behind you, haven’t forgotten?”

“Yes, yes…”

Rain walked ahead into the depths of the forest with people who had recently become scouts. When the first wave of people set off, a very small part of them stayed behind. Rain understood that they would follow a bit later but a little further away. The entire reconnaissance plan became clear to Rain as daylight. These people, along with Rain’s personal guard, would be responsible for conveying information about the reconnaissance. Those who went ahead were only meant to distract attention.

The further the scouts ventured into the forest, the more they spread out, moving away from each other. When Rain had gone far enough, he looked back and saw a small, almost imperceptible silhouette in the distance – it was Bern. The people behind kept their distance from those in front as much as possible to avoid losing sight of each other. The scouts continued walking, occasionally bumping into each other and then separating again. The terrain gradually became more mountainous. In such conditions, those in front could hardly remain visible to those behind all the time, but closing the distance was too dangerous. Therefore, those walking behind literally followed in the footsteps of those in front. Rain walked almost without breaks. He realized that this job was hardly worth those twenty gold, especially considering it felt like a one-way road. However, this expedition helped him distract himself from thoughts about what his current life had become. So, as much as he wanted to turn around and give this knight named Bern a beating, he kept on walking.

At some point, when Rain was almost exhausted, one of the scouts came across him again. It was a boy about fifteen years old, with unevenly cut hair, dressed in village rags. This time, the boy dared to ask Rain a question.

– You’re a Raiderian, aren’t you?

– What? – Rein responded.

– Well, you’ve got that hefty sword on your back, and you look stronger than people I knew before.

– Raiderian! – Rein replied. – That’s what they usually call us.

– Well, yes, yes…

– I used to be one, and now… maybe. Now I’m not sure I can still call myself that.

– Why?

– See the mark on my cheek? The tribunals branded me before they expelled me.

– What are the tribunals?

– They are warriors… who punish other warriors for their transgressions. Like royal knights or executioners? Something in between, – Rein explained.

– It’s funny, we’re out here looking for Raiderians who want to attack us and kill, and here I am walking with almost one of them. You could easily be mistaken for one of them.

– I don’t want to attack you. You don’t need to be afraid.

– Yes, I understood right away that you’re on our side, especially when I saw you in the village. But it’s so strange…

– I’m not on your side, – Rein objected.

– Then why are you with us?

– But I’m not on their side either. I’m for no one! I just need money.

– For no one? For money? In the empire, did you do something for money, and that’s why they expelled you? – the boy asked, getting angry.

– No, I wasn’t expelled for that, – Rein replied. – As for money… Sometimes people do things to survive in this world.

– My mother and father were killed for money, – the boy said. – I don’t understand why people are so obsessed with it. If you want, you can live peacefully without it.

– I would never kill someone for money, if that comforts you. Only to avoid being killed or to protect those who can’t defend themselves.

– And now? Aren’t you going into battle with us, killing for money?

– You’re incredibly naive! If we’re going somewhere now, it’s only towards death.

– I’m going into battle, not towards death! And if you’re going to death, I’m completely confused because I don’t understand how you’re planning to get your money then.

These words reminded Rein of the true reason for this expedition, so the boy’s words seemed to infuriate him.

– I definitely have a better chance of facing them in battle than you do, – Rein declared. – Honestly, I don’t understand why they sent a child here.

– I’m not a child! I’m going to fight Raiderians! Children don’t do that! Besides, you’re not much older than me!

– They’ll just kill you… – Rein objected. – If you want to survive this day, turn around and run to your family or friends, if you still have any. What awaits us there won’t be a battle; it’ll be a slaughter!

– Everyone says Raiderians are terrifying and bloodthirsty, scaring children as if they can’t be defeated at all, but knights defeat them. I know people have won battles against them long ago. And here you are. You don’t seem that invincible. I don’t want to be afraid. I believe I can defeat a Raiderian in a fair fight. Maybe there are none of them there at all. We’re just going to check if they are there. Maybe we’ll even reach Aeris.

– Listen, – said Rein. – I’m serious! There’s nothing for you to do here. You won’t beat an imperial warrior. Even the weakest of them are significantly more trained than you. They start training them practically from childhood to kill. Not to mention that they are stronger than you and not clad in rags. You’re too dreamy! Run while you still can, otherwise you and your grandmother might not survive the war that’s about to begin. Once you reach the village, just find everyone who wants to live and convince them to head towards the great mountains. War definitely won’t reach there. And then you’ll have a chance to live a long and happy life.

– I believe in myself! And our knights won’t abandon those in need. My grandmother has already headed towards the nearest bastions near Rinfoll. Thank you for your concern, but I’m not weak or a coward to just turn around like that.

– Fine. Stop. I need to rest. I’m tired of walking.

– I told you Raiderians aren’t all-powerful! – the boy said with a smirk. – Unlike you, I’m not even tired, even though I’ve been walking all day. The sun hasn’t even set yet.

– We might not be all-powerful, – Rein replied, – but you stand no chance against a Raiderian.

– Listen… I get it. You’re just scared! You want to run away, but as long as I’m here, you hesitate.

– I’m not hesitating. I just don’t want you to be killed just like that. After all, I’m sure you have something to live for!

– You’re not the first Raiderian warrior I’ve seen, – the boy said. – Their scouts have visited our villages before, roamed through our forests. Once I saw a knight kill one of your Raiderians. As I said, I definitely have a chance. And I want to take advantage of it. It’ll toughen me up; I’ll become stronger – and someday, I’ll avenge my parents.

– Alright. I’ve rested, – Rein said abruptly.

– Finally, – the boy replied and went ahead.

– Stop! – Rein said. – You won’t go any further.

– What? Why? – the boy asked in surprise.

– I won’t let you! If you can’t defeat me, then you certainly won’t handle an entire Raiderian legion on your own.

– What? I won’t fight alone. I’m not the only one who went into the woods for reconnaissance! Besides, there are others with me, and knights are following us.

– Don’t you understand? As soon as we encounter the Raiderians, everyone will scatter immediately – those who can, and the knights – they’ll run first!

– No. They’re knights. They can’t just abandon everyone.

– How naive you are if you really think so, – Rein replied.

– Fine, I’ll just go; you won’t be able to stop me anyway, – the boy said.

Seeing that the boy just continued walking, Rein followed him slowly and stopped him, grabbing him by the shoulder.

– Let go! – the boy exclaimed angrily.

– Fine… If you want to fight a Raiderian, fight me!

Rein clenched his fist and struck the boy in the face with half force, breaking his nose and causing him to fall.

– Well, how about now? Had enough?

The boy was genuinely angered. He stood up, clenched his fists, and in response to his own roar, he struck Rein in the face with all his strength. However, Rein just turned his face, not even flinching. The boy then hit him once more in the body and twice in the face. After that, Rein, unperturbed, wiped his nose and said:

– So, have you finally understood?

The boy got even angrier, turned around, grabbed a stone lying by a tree, and with an apologetic look towards Rein, he ran at him, holding the stone tightly. The boy intended to hit Rein in the face again, hoping that the stone would make it more painful. But as soon as the boy approached a close distance for the strike and swung, Rein grabbed him by the hand holding the stone and by the shoulder with his other hand. Stepping slightly to the side and making a swift move, Rein effortlessly threw the boy to the ground. As the boy lay there, his face was now covered in tears.

– You wanted to fight so badly! – Rein said. – Come on, I’m waiting! Why are you lying down?

The boy, even more enraged, picked up a broken stick lying under him and ran towards Rein, aiming the sharp end at him. However, Rein simply took the boy by the wrist holding the stick and squeezed so hard that the boy couldn’t hold it anymore. The stick fell, and the boy began to cry. With his free hand, he started hitting Rein in the face. He struck Rein about ten times before Rein finally hit him back. Since Rein struck the boy below the belt, he fell to the ground, stopped crying, and almost stopped making any sounds at all, curling up into a ball.

– I’m sorry, I had to do this to show you how it really is, not in your fantasies. If you don’t go back on your own, I’ll have to forcefully take you away from here.

Meanwhile, a sound was heard from behind.

– Well, you’ve made quite a spectacle here.

– Bern… Can’t say I’m thrilled to see you either, – Rein said.

– Mutual feeling! When I saw some commotion here, I tied my horse not far away and approached to observe you a bit. It was entertaining, but as I told you: “Move forward, or I’ll finish you.” And I wasn’t the only one who said that. You remember, right?

– Yes, I remember… but I’m not going where you directed me anymore.

– You’ve come almost to Raiderian lands… And now… you’ve decided to turn back because of this boy?

– I just want to get him out of here. I want to save whoever I can! And if you decide to get in my way, I’ll push you aside.

This statement offended Bern and elicited laughter from him, but he understood Rein’s desire to save the boy, even though it surprised him.

– You were clearly told what to do and what would happen. You gave your word! Now I just have to fulfill it, and I’ll take care of this boy, for what it’s worth. But if you think you have any chance against me, you’re clearly delusional! I hope you’ll face your death with dignity! – Bern said, playfully drawing his sword from its sheath.

Bern unsheathed his sword, holding it in his hand with a reverse grip. Changing the expression on his face, he assumed a combat stance. Reyn was curious about what to expect from this knight in battle. However, with little time to spare, Reyn made a leap and struck with his sword first.

Due to the smaller size of Bern’s sword, which was only a few inches longer than his forearm and narrower than his wrist, he couldn’t effectively block Reyn’s powerful strike. Bern employed a special combat technique, guiding the opponent’s sword along the edge of his own blade as if the enemy’s sword were sliding off. At the same time, he moved slightly to the side, deflecting or, more accurately, evading the direct blows of opponents stronger than him. This was how he deflected Reyn’s swift overhead strike.

As Bern was not encumbered by heavy armor and wielded a sword that weighed almost as much as he did, the knights of the Last Kingdoms were known for honing their combat skills to perfection over many years, increasing the speed of their execution. Almost instantly after deflecting Reyn’s strike, Bern changed the position of the sword in his hand, gripping it conventionally, and swiftly ran the blade along the gap in Reyn’s armor on the side.

Only the fact that Reyn instinctively tightened the gap in his armor due to the pain saved him from death. After this wound, Reyn had to place his left hand on the bleeding injury and wield his sword with only one hand, also using a reverse grip. Bern almost immediately unleashed a barrage of new strikes upon Reyn.

Bern changed grips between his strikes so quickly that it seemed as if he were merely showing off. All of this happened almost instantly. So fast that Reyn could only block the blows with the flat of his sword instead of counterattacking. Although at the moment Reyn thought that both his sword and armor were only slowing him down, the extensive blade of Reyn’s sword saved his life blow after blow from Bern. Each new strike from Bern pushed Reyn down to his knees.

At some point, Bern hesitated for a moment, and Reyn caught him off guard. With one hand, Reyn turned his sword and swung it from left to right, piercing the horizon with the tip. As Reyn’s concentration momentarily weakened, he saw small metal knives flying towards him. He managed to deflect some with his sword, but some got stuck in his armor. Finally, Reyn was able to stand up from his kneeling position and release the still-bleeding wound.

The guy whom Reyn had dealt with quite thoroughly caught Reyn’s eye. Still recovering from Reyn’s blows, he breathed heavily and silently watched the battle, leaning against a tree. Reyn turned his gaze back to Bern and said:

“You’re fast…”

“And you’re still alive,” replied Bern, “but only because I allow it. I was curious to see what you were made of, considering how confident you were. I am a knight of an order that has existed for over a millennium. Your people weren’t even on the world map, and the order had already been around for many years. But at some point, you appeared – arrogants who decided to rule the world on your own. Because of you, we had to embark on a quest for truths that would allow us to stand against you. Because of you, our order had to evolve. Because of beings like you, I am who I am. The one who fulfills his purpose over and over, killing raidarians like you. Do you know what number you are? One hundred! I thought that God would reward me with someone special for my efforts, but I’ve seen enough, once again confirming that miracles don’t exist. And now, answer me! After what you’ve seen, do you still hope to defeat me?”

“I couldn’t care less about you and your order,” said Reyn. “I’m just waiting for you to do something instead of running your mouth.”

“Interesting…” replied Bern, once again assuming a combat stance.

This time, Reyn, holding his sword with both hands, simply stood, lowering the blade to the ground, forcing Bern to initiate the attack. This time, Reyn decided to fight by countering, deflecting Bern’s slashing strikes. Bern understood that trying to break through his solid defense would be too foolish, so after another strike, he quickly somersaulted away. Coming out of the roll, he tried to pierce Reyn from the side again, but this time, Reyn managed to block the attack with a wooden plate strapped to his left forearm. At the same time, as he stood up, Bern drew a knife from his waist with his left hand and, with a sharp turn, tried to thrust the knife directly into Reyn’s neck.

Reyn had to release his sword to quickly block this attack with the armor on his right arm. In the process, the sword fell, embedding itself in the ground. Reyn’s hand barely reached the knife before it could pierce his neck, gripping it so tightly that Bern couldn’t pull his knife back. Then Reyn noticed his hand, which was bleeding from holding the knife blade. More precisely, he noticed the glove. At that moment, he deeply regretted not stealing a raidarian armor with gloves that protected the back of the hand. Bern was greatly surprised that Reyn somehow managed to escape what would normally be a deadly blow. While Bern was in a state of strong surprise, Reyn was already lifting his leg for a kick, managing to deliver a powerful blow to Bern’s torso and throwing him backward. The impact was so strong that Bern couldn’t stay on his feet and fell, but he quickly got up without losing composure.

Reyn imagined the expression on Bern’s face hidden behind the mask, which probably resembled a surprised lamb. Reyn only wanted to break the distance with a kick to gain a little more time against such a skilled killer. But Reyn didn’t have much time, considering that he had been wounded several times and was bleeding. At that moment, Bern roared, as if not expecting to have to fight for so long.

Bern tensed his muscles, gripping his sword with all his might. He took a short breath and exhaled. Then, with a slight toss of his sword into the air, he pulled out another object from under a strap on his chest, resembling a small throwing knife. Like lightning, Bern hurled this knife-like object towards Reyn and hit the gap between the protective wooden plates on his leg, penetrating just above the knee. Reyn didn’t know what to do. If he pulled it out, another bleeding wound would open, and if he left it, this thing would slow him down so much that his chances of victory would plummet.

Bern, on the other hand, wasted no time – he wanted to finish this battle as quickly as possible. Bern caught the thrown sword in the air, but then…

Out of nowhere, sounds of flying arrows were heard from behind Bern. He immediately understood what it was. He tried to turn around to swiftly deflect the arrows with his sword, which he managed to do, but one arrow still pierced his dense leather attire, lodging into his back. Before his eyes, a horrifying scene unfolded with numerous raidarian warriors appearing on the horizon, seemingly ascending a small slope. They appeared one after another, releasing arrows from large bows and crossbows.

Unexpectedly, one of the guys who had been watching the battle by the tree was struck by an arrow from a raidarian crossbow. He cried out momentarily, attempting to pull out the arrow, but any attempts ended in agony as he experienced unbearable pain at the slightest touch. In pain, fear, confusion, and complete despair, he remained silent, doing nothing, resigned to his fate.

Meanwhile, despite everything, no arrows flew towards Reyn, as raidarian warriors, seeing his sword and appearance, but unable to discern his emblem due to the distance, mistook him for one of their own.

At the same time, Bern was forced to take cover behind tree trunks, moving from tree to tree, fending off arrows to reach his horse, tied not far away.

Reyn, seeing an opportunity, decided to rescue the injured guy struck by an arrow. He approached the guy, looked at him, and the guy slowly raised his gaze to meet Reyn’s. Their eyes locked. Reyn took the guy’s hand, placed it on his shoulder, then turned around and, limping, headed towards Bern’s horse, dragging his sword along the ground, as their only chance of escape lay with the horse. The guy offered no resistance, although any movement must have caused him pain. He seemed to be in a state of shock. While Bern stood behind a tree trunk, being bombarded by a multitude of approaching empire warriors, Reyn managed to outpace Bern, as almost no one hindered him. However, at some point, the raidarian warriors realized something was amiss, as their own, whom they saw in Reyn, wanted to flee rather than join them.

Feeling the first arrow piercing his back through the armor, Reyn immediately dropped the guy from his shoulder, grabbed him with his left hand, and hid him behind, walking sideways and deflecting the arrows with the broad side of his sword. As much as Bern wanted to reach his horse quickly, the dense stream of arrows towards him proved to be a significant hindrance. Eventually, Reyn managed to reach Bern’s horse first. He placed the guy on the horse and intended to saddle it himself. However, as soon as he untied the reins from the tree, Bern’s throwing knife impaled his glove, causing Reyn to turn around.

At that moment, Bern was already charging at Reyn furiously with his sword. Reyn barely managed to block Bern’s strike with the armor on his arm. While Reyn blocked the strike with one hand, he began to swing his sword with the other, causing not only raidarian arrows but also his own sword to fly towards Bern. As a result, Bern had to step back from the sword strike, throwing another knife at Reyn. Reyn, anticipating the attack, used this moment to his advantage. He only needed to break the distance one last time to buy himself a few more moments to somehow get on the horse. Seizing this opportunity, he took the reins and mounted the horse, which was already getting restless due to the arrows hitting its armor.

“Let’s go,” exclaimed Reyn, tapping the reins, and the horse galloped away from the arrows flying towards them. Some arrows bounced off the horse’s metallic armor, while others pierced it directly. The horse ran as fast as it could, leaving Bern behind. The warriors and Bern were gradually becoming distant, but that was no longer important. What mattered was to bring the guy, weakened by blood loss, to the nearest village, as his time was running out. Moreover, Reyn was gradually losing blood, which was not a good sign. Because of the constant galloping, the guy occasionally made strange sounds, as if in pain. Perhaps these discomforts during the ride were what kept him conscious, preventing him from losing consciousness.

Riding with all their might towards the village, they arrived much faster than if they had walked on foot.

“Here is the village!” exclaimed Rein, seeing its silhouette in the distance. “Hey, buddy, can you hear me?” But the guy didn’t respond. “Hey, you! Are you still with us, hey?”

When Rein turned back and shook the guy by the shoulder, the guy showed no signs of life. “Damn it, buddy…” Rein muttered, pulling the reins with all his might. “Let’s go! Forward! Forward!”

It was getting dark, and sunset was approaching. The crimson light enveloped the fields as Rein urged his horse even faster. Finally, he entered the village.

“Hey, is anyone here?” Rein shouted loudly. But no one answered. It seemed like the village had been deserted for a long time. There were no knights even though they had promised to wait for reconnaissance reports.

Rein rode his horse along the main road of the village, constantly asking if anyone was there. As he reached almost the center of the village, he heard a sound resembling a human noise. Rein headed towards the sound.

“Where are you, damn it, I heard you,” he exclaimed. Again, no one responded, but after a while, a noise, like something falling, came from a nearby house. Rein hurried towards the building.

“I need a healer urgently. The guy on my horse… he’s dying,” Rein stated. No one replied. As Rein began to turn back towards the exit, a man behind him opened the trapdoor of the cellar, sticking his head out.

“Are you a Raedarian?” he asked.

“Yes, but I’m not part of that army moving this way. I just want to help that lad,” Rein replied.

“Well, if that’s the case, and this isn’t some trick, come in. But be sure, if you’re lying, we won’t forget it,” said the old man.

“I’ll bring the guy; he needs urgent medical help. He won’t last long! He has already lost consciousness from blood loss,” Rein explained.

“So, what are you waiting for? Bring him in quickly!”

Rein ran to his horse, picked up the guy, and carried him to the cellar.

“Be careful! Hold him by the hand and lower him!” The people in the cellar, several families judging by what Rein saw below when bringing the guy down, took him and carried him away. Rein didn’t go down to the cellar; instead, he stood there, seemingly lost in thought, and started waiting.