One Will Survive Part IX: The Battle of Kirklees

**One Will Survive Part IX: The Battle of Kirklees** is a chapter in *Pax Regalis*. In this chapter, Bayani Mangubat Damitan, after successfully introducing advanced agriculture, hunting, irrigation, advanced mining, trade routes, currency, advanced bronze working, advanced iron working, feudalism, advanced masonry, advanced construction and engineering, announced that he would go for a charge on Kirklees against Gondor for his party.

## Transcript

**O**H yeah. Looks like we kicked Gandor's as... eight times. First in Thanagar, then in Vadrock, Ducansid, Darajaat, Nadraah, Tasfeya, Alrasm and Tastahill... and now we're gonna do it again here in Kirklees. I look kinda battered and bruised like most of my teammates did, but we still can make it. The long road to Gandor can't be nothing but a dream. It should be a reality real soon.

As I took off my *barong tagalog* and change into a frilled shirt, a frock, breeches, stockings and shoes when I got up from a medical tent while I'm being treated by a group of doctors and nurses, it looks like there's a scroll in the nightstand. Let's see...

"You look battered and bruiſed Captain! But I'm ſure you can continue, for the future of the kingdom reſts in your ſhoulders! You ſhould have ſome brilliant new technologies by the ſtage in this journey, and I hope you know how to uſe them! Ready? .... Charge!!!!"

Oh, the scroll's right. I've learned Rivarosians how to do advanced agriculture, hunting, irrigation, advanced mining, trade routes, currency, advanced bronze working, advanced iron working, feudalism, advanced masonry, advanced construction and engineering. Looks like Rivarosians already did agriculture, bronze working, iron working, masonry and construction, all at the basic levels, and not at the advanced levels. They never did hunting, irrigation, trading, currency, feudalism and engineering, including advanced versions of these from the above, just ever before. They'll be like... darn. But, yeah. I did it. With my chief scientist's help, Rivaros can now advance its own technology and become more better and stronger than ever before.

Then... I decided to do my speech. This was the very first speech I'm gonna address with, so I hopped onto the hood of a jeep and began to speak with them as a group. I cleared my throat before I could say something about it.

"All right, everyone, fall in on me!" I commanded. "Let's move it." The men and my companions gather around me. "Companions, men, it's been fourteen months. Some gave more. Despite that we're gracefully happy that not a single party memer of mine has lost, we lost my friends from Rivaros like Rique. Walterus and Galeren... and Bertin. The collapse broke part of his back--paralyzed him. He won't ever walk again. But he can talk... and you know what he said? He asked me if any of us were worth it. We've all made mistakes. We've all questioned what we're doing here. And we all feel burdened by the cost of the fight. Especially in the face of defeat. But I am not retreating. I'm standing along side all of you. I'm still standing right here. I'll walk us straight into Gandor, if he's asked of us, and he probably will be. And I know some of you don't trust me right now. Some of you are clinging to superstition. That ends right now. I know we feel like we need something to blame. But it's just a goddamn gun!" I threw my flintlock pistol away from myself, saying that it's to be blamed by that cursed flintlock pistol that lost my friends, including my father. I would continue my speech with these words after this. "So, here we are -- brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, saints, and sinners. Let's bring this fight back to Gondor's men."

"Well, shit. If you're going to use all them pretty words," said a Rivarosian soldier. A Rivarosian captain walked away with words "I cant."

What is it that makes a great soldier? Is it his brain... or his heart?