Aftermath

Aftermath is one of the Tales of Arkain.

## Synopsis

The story came from a common soldier's POV after the End of an Uprising.

## Story

The men were tired.... such a word is inadequate to describe the armies under General Gardon Bloodclaw. Screams were now a common thing to hear as the battle finally ended. The rebellion was over, the Ironfist were traitors, and the rumor mill has it the General will be declaring himself king soon! The soldier can hardly believe everything that has happened the past few days. Reality came crashing down again on the man, screams and the shouting for medics and healers. He turns and there is a burning destructor, men are franticly trying to open the former fortress turned prison.

Somehow his legs begin moving and he makes the short journey back to camp on the other side of the city. The distance seemed so long when the men were fighting street to street, house to house. He is back and the stink of death is overpowering. Corpses are everywhere. The next few hours pass by in a blur, he is conscripted into carrying the wounded to the medic tents. The screaming becomes a familiar companion as the day goes on. Somehow he eventually gets out of this new hell, if he was no longer needed or he ran he did not know. The soldier begins walking, to find his unit, assauge his mind? He did not know, his fellow soldiers seemed to be doing the same, lost and angry. Damn the traitors and damn the Empire, they had given so much and now they were thrown out

An explosion suddenly rings out interrupting the still ongoing screams, it seems the destructor's ammo stocks had finally caught fire. New men, the general's elites have started walking amongst the groups of soldiers. They say the general has an announcement and everyone should get some sense back into their heads and head back to camp. As the soldiers returned back to the main camp of the Ironfist, they felt fatigue beyond measure and a spark of anger. They were going to move out soon all of them knew it. Barely a few hours after getting through hell and they were moving out again. Fools.

But when the General appeared they still straightened their backs and stood like proper soldiers. The General appropriately found a podium or something to stand on, and whether through the effects of magic or just his old commanding self he spoke and they all heard. "I have something to say and don't start your damn grumblings yet because it's not what you idiots think. We are alone: battered, betrayed, and outnumbered. Our great Empire has turned its back on all of us, but there is no time to dwell on this we need to act. The Kingdoms will fall, the Empire is leaving this continent to its fate, and we're stuck in the middle of all of this."We are not leaving! We shall not leave this land to its eventual fate. But that does not mean we are serving the kingdoms or anyone else. I speak of something new, a new bulwark against the dark. What I am speaking of is a new kingdom, maybe one day a new nation. We shall make our own fate in this hell, we shall beat back the empire, the demons, and those fucking undead!... No more running, no more hiding, no more waiting until reinforcements come, no more. "I, General Gardon Bloodclaw formerly of the Empire's Imperial Army now declare myself as king of this United Kingdom." The man sighs, he is used to action not speechcrafting. "All of you we're moving out in two days, that means get some rest. Bury your friends, and help those that can make it.... Dismissed.“

Thanok steps onto the podium, "There's something else." The men have only taken a few steps." Scarlett Retka, one of enemy commanders has been spared. Time will tell if she's useful or not but that doesn't matter. I don't expect you to be ok with this, that's fucking fine but don't kill her. At least not yet. We'll need every advantage we can get in the coming days."