Short Story 1

Stone Nation

My name is Commander Miihan and I command Irumulan's finest army that it has seen in over twenty two centuries. I don't recall my childhood or anything before this day for that matter. That is because I have no childhood. I was brought into creation for this day, when I would command the armies of the Stone Nation. The soldiers that I command tell me that I apparently walked straight out of the earth and stepped into life from the great plain. Being informed that I was to command and control both the earth Irumulan and the fire tribes, or the Hua'an nation that dotted the mountains that have recently joined the Irumulan nation was astounding. The fire tribes have dotted the surface of the mountains but have been living in hollowed out mountains for four centuries at least. The army at their control almost doubles the one we currently have in availability. The Naaitana, air, nation that has decided that being neighbors no longer benefits them have decided to attempt to impress their culture upon us to subtly take us over. We will not go down so easily.

The Naaitana have successfully joined with the Aqueme, or water nation of the west. They have been considered the most powerful force known for the past century. They have developed ways to make such things as steel from pure water and even animate it. The Naaitana have found ways to manipulate air to do as they wish and have found ways to fly. However great these feats are, the Irumulan and the Hua'an have advanced in our own ways. As I have said before, the Hua'an has been able to hollow out mountains and have found that fire is intelligent. My empire, as I have been told, has built massive structures out of stone that can move. We too, can manipulate stone to carry out our will. Now that the brief history of the world I have entered into is over, my work is to be focused on winning this war. My entire being was brought here to win this war and that is just what emperor Ziihanae commands of me.

The dawn of battle and the sun greets us with a blood red sunrise to greet those who would die today into its warm embrace. The valley that has been chosen is bathed in a glow of orange and purple. It gives a calming effect on my army as it prepares for war. Their nerves are quelled and now their hearts soar among the birds in the treetops. The glints of the armor from the armies of the Naaitana can be seen flowing over the rolling hills as they march to meet us on the battle field. The rousing clatter of metal and steel upon each other encourage my troops as my archers make their way through my ranks and into the front while my cavalry rides around the flanks. The archers are using the largest bows in the known world that have almost doubled the distance a conventional arrow can travel. However, immense muscle is needed to draw the sinew back, making my archers also the strongest in the known world. I could have my archers fire now and be able to have the arrows land among their ranks but their shields can be raised to deflect them. As they get closer, I can send the arrows straight out directly into their front lines and the sheer power of my bows will propel those arrows through the toughest of shields and through two to three people. They are coming into range.

My voice rings out among my garrison and my archers raise the bows. They fire and the arrows move faster than my eye can follow. They penetrate the front lines and even the next few. Three lines of maybe 50 men and women each fall down. They must have anticipated my attack because the instant those lines go down, a hidden horde of javelin men emerge from the front ranks and, with accuracy equal to that of the wind, impale each and every one of my archers. My men move up to take their places and advance on the now empty handed javelin throwers. As they do so, arrows rise from the middle ranks of the Naaitana and pelt my front lines. Marching, their shields fail to rise and a good few of my men join the now blazing sun that dances in the brightening sky. But when my infantry clashes with theirs, the sound resonates almost loud enough to wake those just past. Men hit men and women hit women as shields brake and swords fly around as they search for their intended target. I move up to join the fight with my army. My presence encourages them. My stone hurlers will stone up from under the air nation ranks and create obstacles or crush the stunned warriors. Now my cavalry will provide the all mighty shock that will create the ripple effect I need to instill fear in my enemy. They hit the flanks of the enemy ranks and push them to a central point. Slicing through the enemy flanks and stabbing or killing all that get in the way cause panic throughout the army.

Playing into my hands, the Aqueme flow down into the valley from the sides and flank my cavalry and infantry. Knowing what this will do to my troop's morale, I have the Hua'an ignite fire around the back of my troops. It is at least three men high and two men thick. I've yet to see a more magnificent fire; then again, I've been aware of my existence for only a week. The battle rages this way till the sun is at its highest and my men begin to tire. This is when I know that my backup must come into play. Before I get the chance to call upon the reserves, the Aqueme do first. The first is noticeable when a gap in the ranks appears. At first it seems that the infantry has been standing in a puddle but the puddle begins to form. I believe this is just manipulation of water or something minor, but it forms into the shape of a woman. She has hair that violently blossoms from her scalp and rages down her back. Her skin is translucent and vivid blue inside. As she walks, each step leaves a small spring growing from the spot her foot touches.

It impresses me but I have the upper hand of sunlight. I whisper to my aide who blows a cattle horn. The air immediately begins to get hotter. It ripples from the rapidly moving currents and begins to flow toward a central point. As the air gets hotter, it is whisked away to that point, where a single flame has emerged from out of midair. The flame widens to open up a fiery portal from which a furry of fire spurts forth. It snakes its way over my ranks to the front of my line where a gap of my own has been made. The pyretic snake alights on the grass and it is burned away instantly. The fire takes form into a dragon. The heat emanating from my beast has men from both sides scurrying to get away. The aquatic maiden keeps a steady pace towards the dragon however. I began to notice that the maiden was no longer a liquid, but now frozen and causing her own army to shiver and run. Fire and Ice, which one will prevail. My serpent begins to float towards the maiden and they take to encircling each other. Yin and Yang, fire and water.

The ultimate match, water stifles fire yet fire vaporizes water. Quantity is the deciding force here. As the circle begins to get smaller, they both start to waver. The maiden begins to liquefy again and my dragon loses heat. AT the twitch of a muscle, they converge. Fire and water blur and out of the struggle comes one drop of water, but that is all the maiden needs apparently, because from that blossoms another maiden. But this time there is no dragon to check her. She has free reign. She lines herself up with the middle of my army and waves. Spikes of ice splinter up from the ground in a straight line from her outstretched limb impaling all in its path. She then waves her hands across my army and an arch of water shoots from her hand like a fountain. When it reached its peak, it froze into jagged spears that rained down on my army, piercing the toughest of armor and shields. Within minutes, my army is either dead or fleeing. I continue to fight to hopefully rouse my army back but with no avail. The man I currently fight notices my distracted tactics and aims a jab at my shoulder, I block but he comes around with his shield which I now discover had a blade around the edge. It arches toward my neck. I could have easily avoided it but for what purpose? My whole existence was to win this fight and my master will get rid of me anyway now that I have served my purpose and failed. When it struck, I was given a mercifully quick death, feeling no pain, and being happy of the pain of defeat I have now avoided. How can I know my army has lost when it still stands when I die?