Blood in the air

The imperial army was in a sorry state. They had their supplies stolen and could not rest for many nights.

Rufus's army was in the front. The queen's army reached the imperial from their rear. The vast imperial force was stuck between a rock and a hard place, with no way of avoiding a battle.

"We need to attack NOW! We finally have them," Samanilde yelled in a fit of rage as she yearned for revenge.

"Why can't you be like the twins? Quiet," Berig yelled.

The imperial army was more extensive, but they were completely surrounded. Though the emperor was probably the strongest divine person, able to blast entire regiments, he was still at risk of losing his whole army.

Ala Phokas was alone and not with his children and commanders. He was in the forest, alone, thinking of the future.

The emperor was considered the trump card of the entire army. Still, he also needed to figure out their chances and doubted his potential. He felt the divinity of Rufus. It had grown stronger with every passing day, just like with him in Midgard. In the fields of endless war and struggle, one is forced to evolve to new heights.

"My emperor, your children have started to squabble. I think you should join them," Gadaric said and approached the emperor.

Ala just ignored him and just stared into the empty space.

"Gadaric. Tell me. I heard that you met with Rufus Fairfax in a destroyed village. Why?" The emperor asked.

"I tried once more to persuade the king of our cause. To see the errors of his ways," Gadaric explained.

"That king has already decided his fate. It is to fight us and die trying. Though his insistence on fighting rather than surrendering is what makes one strong. And I need strong warriors. He would have made a great asset, but what makes him so great is his stubbornness," Ala explained.

"I tried to explain how this war and all wars would be history, for if you would rule,"

"And why would that be?"

Gadaric looked baffled.

"Do you know what is the nature of the universe we live in? Not the nature of our world but the entire universe. It is of constant war, and you can not fight against it. You can try, many have, but they have yet to win. You should rather adopt and try to live the way the universe wants you to."

"I do not understand."

"Have you heard of the phrase "Weak men create bad times, and bad times create strong men.?"

"I have, but I understood that strong men create good times."

"Yes, but those same men who would create the bad times, those weak people. They would plunge our world into such despair and destruction. Our entire way of life. Our culture. It all could be destroyed if beings with gods on their side attacked us. I have witnessed it. When the berserks came...

"We are weak compared to what's in the universe. To counter that, I will create a world where the strong survive. So our people will not have to submit to any other than a god from our world. A god that protects them but pushes them in the right direction as well."

Gadaric erupted and yelled, "We have just made everything we have conquered better. We stopped the Hephthalites from raiding. Destroyed the corsairs on the Etnan strait. I made the city of Corlis prosper."

"Yes, crime. This world has no use for thieves. But it has uses for warriors. For fighters. For people like you, me, and Rufus."

"And how will you then make them war against each other? Force them. Create discort using intriuge."

"They will fight. It is in their nature. We just will let them. It is to make them understand who actually sits on top. No noble nor duke. No king nor even any possible other emperors. For I shall tower above them, as a god. I shall protect them and put our warriors from the Wastefell to the Sumerfell sea to the archives of the universe's history.

~~

Rufus met with Satifa on the same night for one last meeting. In the dark of the night, the two leaders of the two allied armies met, thinking one or both of them might die tomorrow.

"How has it gone so far?" Satifa asked Rufus.

"Got into a little bit of trouble, but we managed through it thanks to some ingenuity by Liana," Rufus explained.

The two leaders walked through the low trees and to the highest point in the valley. There they had a good view of the massive imperial army.

"Never in my life have I seen such a force," Satifa noted.

The imperial forces almost outnumber us two to one.

"The empire's soldiers are exhausted and are without rations and supplies. We are not attacking right away because we also need our men in better shape. But we at least can now feed them, and they can not," Haley said, who joined in.

"Haley, go back to the camp and rest," Rufus told her.

"Shouldn't you be the one resting as well, Rufus? You are the most important piece in our army," Haley noted.

"She is right. We need you even more than me," Satifa said.

"What do you mean? I mean, weren't you our ace against the emperor? The entire reason we came to your world was to persuade you, the queen of the solo green moon world, we could have a powerful divine person on our side," Rufus said.

"Do you not realize your own powers? How they've grown. Every day," Satifa explained.

"Since you were able to spread your wings and control them. You have grown stronger, and I would even say you are as strong as the queen," Haley said.

"She is right. When we fight the emperor, we will do it together," Satifa said.

"You really think we can defeat the emperor? Even I, who doesn't have much aptitude for sensing other people's divinity. I still feel the emperor all the way here. Such raw and powerful power. I had totally forgotten how strong he was," Rufus said and stared down at the valley where the massive imperial army was camped.

"I don't know, but I promised to help you, and I will. And when this war is over, I hope you can reconsider my offer."

"To go and find Bouzid?"

"....yes."