Weight Of The World

You move up to this mountain in the west with Ashe, Felix, Sylvius and five other Syndicate warriors. As you march up the hill, part of your mind wonders if this is a trap but the more you think about it, the more you realize that if Commander Rixx really did request to share words with you, you highly doubt he is one to set up an ambush and kill you before the battle begins.

Step by step you paced up the mountain until you came to the top of it and as you did, you saw at least a dozen elite Rathkin warriors, completely decked out in golden armor with their swords, spears and shields ready to fight. Commander Rixx is standing in front of them, staring in your direction as he waits for you and your warriors.

As you get to about twenty feet from him you come to a halt and all your warriors stop directly behind you, forming a row at your back, just like the Elite Warriors are doing for Rixx. "Well?" your voice booms out, trying to sound a little more powerful, "What words would you like to share?" you ask the eagle before you.

There was silence for a few moments as you can see Rixx's eyes looking at you, there wasn't any concern, no fear and no hesitation at all. "Fall back to base." Commander Rixx demands his elite warriors behind him as his eyes stay locked onto your own.

"Sir!" one of his elite warriors instantly replies as he takes a step forward.

"Heed my command!" he immediately responds with a touch of anger in his voice.

"Y-Yes, sir!" the main Elite Warrior nods at his Commander before pivoting in his step, turning one eighty degrees and starting his march back down his side of the mountain, back towards the Rathkin encampment. As he does, the remaining ten or so warriors all follow that one Elite, leaving Commander Rixx alone on the mountain.

You watch on, slightly confused but also curious as once his warriors disappear from sight, he turns around and takes a few paces over to the edge of the mountain. Once he gets there, his arms fold across his chest as he stares off into the eastern skies.

"Ashe..." your head turns over your shoulder as you look at your red headed high commander, "Head back to base." you give a nod at her.

"Darien..." Ashe begins as she takes a step towards you, slightly worried why you would want to stay alone up on the mountain with this monster of a man.

"It's okay..." you reach your arm out and place it on her forearm. "Trust me. I'll meet you back at base." you give a nod letting her know you'll be alright.

You can tell Ashe doesn't like this order as she doesn't want to leave you alone but after a brief bout of hesitation she turns around, motions towards Felix, Sylvius and the five other warriors and soon after, those eight are walking down their side of the mountain, making their way back towards the Syndicate encampment.

Once your warriors were gone, leaving the two leaders of their respected armies alone, you step forward, making your way towards Rixx who is still standing there, looking gigantic as his gaze peers off into the distance. You move up to his side and match his stance as you fold your arms across your chest and stare off as well.

As you do, your head veers to the north and since you're so high up, you can make out much of the camp that you and your Syndicate set up. It was almost like a birds-eye view as you could see the giant carriage where you were staying, many warriors, civilians and Sunriders talking, training and even enjoying themselves before the eventual war tomorrow. After cracking a slight grin your head veers to the south and as your eyes focused on the warriors in that direction, it almost felt surreal because those Rathkin warriors were doing the same exact thing as your own; talking, training and even enjoying themselves. Two completely different kingdoms, yet both doing the same exact thing.

The Rathkin army itself looked to be much bigger but you knew you had more animals to help, the tigers would be a massive benefit and you also had many more horses which would allow faster movements with your cavalry. Still though, it was crazy to see these two different kingdoms, both fighting this war and as much as Rathkin and the Syndicate felt and seemed so different, all these men and women were doing the same exact thing, only trying to relax and enjoy potentially their final night alive.

"Quite the spectacle, isn't it?" Rixx's voice finally breaks you from your gaze, "So many living souls, so many beating hearts, all working together for the same goal, to fight for their kingdom" his voice stays emotionless, "It's beautiful, to see so many stand unite as one."

You couldn't deny that, it was a sight to see as thousands upon thousands of warriors were visible on each side of the Turth, "I've seen a lot of people before, but this..." you nod your head up and down as you peer back and forth again between the north and the south, "This is really quite amazing." you let that sink in for a few moments as the two of you continue to stand there in silence, "But why did you ask me up here?" you eventually ask the monster beside you.

"The same reason you came," his head angles down, looking at you only briefly, "a show of respect." he states before his head turns towards the south, looking over much of his entire army, "You and I have met up one too many times in the passed few months and it appears by the end of the day tomorrow, one of our journey's will end."

You take a deep breath before you say anything, "Yes it will." you look at the man to your side, watching the remaining sunlight sparkle off his golden armor, "Tomorrow we go to war and you know as much as I do, one side has to lose and no matter what happens, I'm ready for it."

Rixx releases a puff of air from his nose, loud enough for you to hear and causing you to be slightly confused by it, but then he starts talking once more, "You say you're ready for it, ready for the killing, the slaughter, the battle, but that's only the easy part of war, the hard part is what follows."

A few seconds go by and you don't quite comprehend what he means by that, "I don't understand?" you ask him, knowing he's been a leader of the Rathkin army for as long as you can remember which means he's been in many more wars then you even know. "How could the hard part be what follows? After war you go home? If you're going home you either won the war and you're doing your victory march or you lost, but you're still alive. Going home's the easy part."

His arms unfold from his chest as they reach behind his back and he grips them behind his waist, he still doesn't look in your direction but you notice his head looking off towards the Syndicate side of the river, "For most people yes, that is the easy part, going home. For us, people like you and me, the leaders, the champions of war, killing and fighting is the easy part, going home isn't."

You cock your head only slightly as it still doesn't make much sense to you.

Rixx continues, "It's something they don't teach you in the scrolls and scriptures of war that any noble can read about." he takes a deep breath, his voice sounding a little more humane now, "If you win tomorrow and get to return back to the Syndicate alive, as you march to your city, word will spread of your victory and as you get closer and closer to home, all the people, all your friends, family, civilians, whoever they are, they'll come out to the edge of town to welcome your return."

Still as you think on, it doesn't sound that terrible, to be able to see Lexie again is something you definitely cherish and hope for.

"As a leader, you'll wait by those gates as your army marches over the horizon to come back home. All the civilians of your kingdom will be cheering you on and congratulating you on the victory but afterwards, they'll wait." he pauses and you hear him take another deep breath, "They'll wait for their husband or wife to march over that horizon. They will keep hope their son or daughter will return to them. And yet wave after wave of warriors will march passed them, making their way back into their city. For the longest time, you can see the hope still in their eyes as they only assume their loved one will be with the next group of soldiers, the next pack of warriors that are coming over that horizon. That's when they'll show up, that's when my child will come home, only one more wave, they'll be in the next wave of soldiers! My child is coming home!!!"

You listen on, now realizing where this is going.

"Wave after wave of returning warriors will go and wave after wave, the hope in their eyes slowly starts to diminish." he takes a few seconds, "As the leader of an army, you're happy you won and you did the best you could to bring as many of your warriors back to your kingdom, but to see the hope in their eyes disappear and the sadness and anger build up because their husband, their wife, their son, daughter, friend or significant other is gone. That, Darien, that is a burden you are forced to bear if you do win this war and march your army back home."

It really hit you at that point because honestly that is something you never truly thought about. Sure, you were worried so much about yourself and returning yourself back to the Syndicate so you could get back to Lexie and your child, get back to Zoe and even Karisi. But you never thought about all the people that won't make it back. All these husbands or wives, these brothers or sisters, these friends or loved ones, with every death that happens tomorrow, that's one less person going home, one less loved one returned to their families. It made you swallow hard as this master of war was sharing his knowledge with you and as he did, it felt as if a giant weight was pressing down on your chest.

"So yes, Darien," he starts again, "That's why for people like you and I, killing is the easy thing, the act we enjoy, the part we long for." you hear his voice perking up a little more, "It's the going home part that will destroy you, it's where a true leader either rises or falls, it's where your kingdom realizes if you are truly worth it or not. If you go home, can you bear the weight of all these deaths on your shoulders and still hold strong or will you crumble under the pressure."

The two of you stand there in silence for another minute as you watch the remaining section of sun begin to fall behind the horizon, the glowing golden rays of light bask the two of you as the final night before war will soon begin. After only many deep breaths, you take a step back and pivot your body to face Rixx, for the first time since you got up on this mountain, you turn his direction and look at him, "Tomorrow when we go to war, Rixx..." you start to say as he too takes a step back to turn his body, the two of you now facing each other head on, "I will spare you from that burden of going home." you angle your head up and look at his face, seeing his eyes glaring back at you from under that eagle helmet, "Because the next time we meet Rixx, I will kill you."

You see him give a half grin under his helmet as he releases another puff of air out of his nostrils, "You'll try Darien." his voice goes monotone again, "It's what everybody before you has always done," his eyes start to squint, almost glaring at you, "And just like everybody else, once the war is over and you are on your knees with my Greatsword against your back." he's telling you what has most likely happened multiple times within his life, "I will give you that honorable death you deserve."

You stare back at him, looking into his eyes, watching his movement, hearing his words, feeling the tension bursting through the atmosphere and yet still, as much as you wanted to hate this man, you couldn't help but show him the respect this great warrior truly does deserve. Your arms uncurl around your chest as you reach your right arm out, offering a hand shake to the eagle before you, "Rixx," you pause, looking directly at his own eyes, "may the best warrior win." you stand there with your hand held out, waiting to see if the man will accept your grasp.

No more than three seconds later his right hand comes from behind his back and firmly grasps your forearm, "May the best warrior win, Darien." he gives a nod, "Until we meet again..."

The last remaining rays of sunlight disappear behind the horizon as the two of you stand there in the fading glow, holding the grasp, showing one another the respect and honor both of you deserve. One final night of friends and family, one final war of Rathkin versus Sicilian and one final fight between the Golden Eagle and the Sabre-Tooth Tiger...