Chapter 70: Na Guerra Ninguém Ganha (No One Wins a War)



I could see the end. It was right there facing us; threatening to destroy the Borgian Castle and the people in it. It had the force of the most destructible storm the Mainland ever had. It was staring straight at us; promising a tragic ending.

Beside the looming end: stood Death. It was watching silently; waiting patiently for the war's end so it could collect lives. It had the list and I didn't know what page my name appeared. All I knew was that we're all written inside it.

I was pulled from that sad and tragic realization when a strong hand grabbed my arm. I looked up and saw that it was Owain who left his position just so he could confront me at the top of the castle's wall.

"Are you insane? You shouldn't be here!" he yelled.

I almost snapped again. Just how many times would I be told the same words in this lifetime? Sometimes, it made me think that I don't really belong anywhere in this world at all. But if I wasn't meant to be here, then where should I be? I sighed in defeat and let him lead me back inside the castle. He was almost carrying me as he took his long strides and stopped abruptly in front of a huge double door. He opened it and shoved me gently inside.

"Stay here, Jonah of the Obsidian!" he said sternly. "I can't protect you if you're not inside this room." And with a warning look, he closed the door behind me.

I didn't get a chance to tell him to be safe. I wasn't able to express how I appreciate him being on our side. I just stood where I was; too shocked to even move as I stared at the group of people hiding inside the room. A little girl with a long silver hair ran towards my direction and wrapped her fragile little arms around me. Her older brothers followed her and stared at me with worry in their eyes.

"Did you see my mother?" Vivienne asked innocently.

Something in her eyes tugged at my heart. Maybe it was the brightness in those orbs; the youthfulness and purity?

"She's outside helping the physicians," I answered. She smiled at me and my heart weighted heavier inside my chest.

"See? I told you! Mother is safe!" she told her brothers as if I had just helped her prove her Cecilia's safety. However, it didn't erase the fear in Div's and Ren's faces. They just held Ron, their youngest sibling, protectively like he might be taken away from them anytime.

I knelt on my knees to face the beautiful Vivienne. Her eyes were full of innocence. I hated to break it but I knew that this time, I had to tell her the truth. I had to let make her understand that her brothers' fear might be right.

"How can you be so sure that she'll be safe?" I asked.

"Mother said that she'll be fighting beside the greatest men of the land and the sea. No can defeat the greatest!" she answered in full confidence.

The child believed her mother's words so much that not even his brothers could make her do otherwise. She was full of hope as she trusted the warriors, the pirates, the doctors, and the Borgian King to protect her. Cecilia filled her child with positivity and it made Vivienne shine in a room full of fear and hopelessness. If her mother fueled her to become a fire in the darkest night, then who am I to put it out?

I sighed. "Yes, love. Your mother, indeed, is one of the greatest."

"Is mother a doctor? She's really good in tending my wounds," she asked again.

My eyes moistened as I caressed her cheeks and felt her warmth on my fingertips. "No, she isn't a doctor. But in the eyes of the people she saved, she is a hero. I know it because she saved mine many times."

Vivienne smiled when she heard it. An idea struck her mind and it made her glow brighter this time. "I want to be a doctor when I grow up!" she exclaimed in her cheerful, sweet voice. Her older brothers, despite being young, looked at her with sadness in their eyes. The women and elders who were listening shifted their gazes from us; refused to be confronted by a child's innocent dreams.

With a broken heart, I smiled at her and whispered, "Ofcourse, Doctor Vivienne."

As she jumped for joy without a care for the bleak future, the hope that was dying inside of us flickered back to life. If a little child as Vivienne could be this strong, then who are we to give up that fast? The room was starting to be filled with faith and smiles when suddenly, a loud explosion was heard outside. The ground began to shake and rubble from the ceiling started to drop on us. I immediately grabbed Vivienne and her brothers and brought them to duck on the floor. The battle outside must have started already and the enemies were attacking the castle.

The hope that started to bloom in the room through a little girl's dream began fading and I watched it transformed into cries and screams. Beliefs are as fragile as our bodies; they could be shattered by an act of violence like this.

"Viv!" Div called loudly to his sister.

I glanced down at the little body in my arms and was horrified to see that the girl was not moving. The deep wound in her head was soiled by the huge rock that fell on her. Blood was gushing out of it just like the dreams in her head that started to disappear. Her brothers cried loudly as they held their sister's body in their little arms. I couldn't fathom the grief and fear they were feeling at the moment. I couldn't understand how children like them could suffer this kind of pain without their mother on their side.

I wanted to be there with them. I wanted to stay and weep with them. But as I stood and looked around me, I realized that it wasn't only Vivienne who was taken by that explosion. And if the enemies would continue attacking the Borgian Castle, it would take more lives from us.

"We need to go. This place is not safe anymore!" I shouted.

But no one listened. They just threw me a glance and went back to grieving the loved ones they had just lost.

"We have to leave the castle! We can go through the back –" I shouted louder just in case they didn't hear me the first time but none of them answered back. They've decided to just ignore me.

A young woman walked towards us and took the boys from their dead sister. She seemed to be acquainted with them as I watched the boys wrapped their arms around her.

"Please understand if we refuse to go with you, my lady. These people have their parents, husbands, children, and relatives fighting outside. We are aware that their fate might not be a good one and that we may not be seeing each other again. However, the Borgian Castle is where they left us and we promised to wait for them here because they will protect it with their lives. That's why we will remain where we are and wait for them to come back in our arms."

I wanted to protest about it. I wanted to tell them that they might die waiting here – that it was stupid. But as I remembered the times when I waited for Threy by the sea, the moment when I held on to his promise to go back for me at the Pirate City, and all those times that I didn't give up on him despite of the possibility that he would never be back, I realized that no words I would say could stop them from doing what their hearts want to do.

Another explosion startled our group and we all crouched down to protect ourselves. And as the debris continued falling at us, more screams and cries echo in the room. This war had taken too much and I had enough. I had to do something. I couldn't just stand here and wait for these people to die. Mustering the strength I had, I stood up and walked out of the room.

The interior of the castle was in wreck; valuable porcelains and old statues were destroyed. There were only a few men guarding the entrance; their attention was focused on the gates as they grip their swords tightly. They were surprised when I suddenly appeared and asked them:

"Where are Owain and Alon?"

They eyed each other and responded, "They needed reinforcement out there. They went to help."

They were in fear. If they were summoned to join the fight then that only meant that the enemies' force was too strong for us. It had worsened our chance to win the war; I could see it from their terrified eyes.

"Lady Primrose! Stop! It's dangerous outside the castle!"

They called out when I dashed towards the gate. However, they didn't move farther from where they were standing to stop me. They watched me in horror as I ran passed the few dead men lying on the ground; several arrows were buried on their bodies as they choked on their own blood. The opponents' archers must have shot arrows that reached inside the castle and these people, most were not trained yet, were caught by surprise. I understood their fear; it was human to feel weakness. But after the fall of the Pirate City, I had to try not to be succumbed by it.

I knelt by a dead man who died holding a sword and shield in his hands. It would be too heavy for my arms to take both of it considering that I hadn't really practiced in using these weapons. If I wanted to move fast, I must only take one. Without thinking twice, I grabbed the shield and held it in front of my body as protection and opened the small door of the gate.

A man from the castle must have broken from the spell of fear for he immediately closed the small passage to the castle when I had finally gotten out. I sighed in relief. One brave man from that group could save them from fear and cowardice.

Outside the castle, the air was filled with deafening explosions, the ringing clashes of swords, and the coppery scent of blood. I could taste death as more dead bodies scattered around me. I almost couldn't identify which of them are our allies or enemies for their armors were encrusted in dirt and blood. Whether it was in the sea of blood or the land of corpses, the only victor of this war is Death.

The battle between those who were still standing continued. They were relentless in their fights. No one even paid attention to a woman who was only carrying a shield. No one thought that a fragile creature like me could bring them harm. No one saw me as a threat.

One step at a time, I started to move forward. Maybe it was pure luck that saved me from this recklessness for the arrows deliberately missed me everytime it tried to hit my direction. I had gotten farther from the castle gate when I stopped moving and stood amidst them. And breathing deeply, I screamed at the top of my lungs: "Stop this war!"

It was the loudest I had screamed and it pierced through the thick air like a sword determined to cut. I had put enough force; I had screamed with my heart. And yet, as I looked around me, I realized that my voice wasn't enough to make a real sound. They didn't even throw a glance at my direction.

"Please, stop!" I screamed again.

But no one listened. It was like they just forget my existence in the field. My presence was inconsequential. My action was futile. Tears stung my eyes at that realization. My voice didn't matter.

However, despite knowing that no one's going to listen to me, I continued screaming and finally someone noticed me in the form of a high-ranking soldier wearing the West Land's uniform. But as he scowled at me in hatred, I realized that he only heard me; he had no intention to listen to me. He immediately put his opponent down and strolled to my direction.

"Even at this time, you still think so highly of yourself. But you're going to die now, milady! And no one's going to listen to the dead." And he raised his sword to strike at me.

I was quick to put the shield between us; the clatter of metals was deafening and it didn't help that his strength was intimidating.

"We have enough death already. We have to stop -"

But instead of pausing to listen, he pulled back to strike again. Only this time, he made sure that no shields could stop him. And he was right, my strength and shield would fail compared to him. But just like a lightning shot down from a stormy sky, Threy was suddenly in front me; defending me from my overpowered assailant.

"I will tear you limb by limb for daring to touch her!" He growled furiously.

It left the Western soldier no choice but have a deadly match with the Skull. Threy didn't confront me for not staying safe inside the castle this time. He probably knew that nowhere is safe anymore that's why he just let me do what I wanted to do and protected me with everything he could.

And so no matter how reckless, futile, and stupid it was, I continued screaming for the war to stop. I probably looked pitiful screaming for the burning house to cool down while throwing a little war into it. But I'd rather looked pathetic than sat where I was until we were all roasted dead.

"There are elders, women, and children in the castle! Please stop attacking the castle!" I begged loudly.

Somehow, few men started to hear my voice. There were also those soldiers of the opposition who glanced at the Borgian Castle probably wondering about the condition of those people inside it. But there were also those enemies who were too blinded by this war that when they saw their comrades opening their eyes to my words, they tried to shut my mouth.

Owain, Alon, and Captain Augusta were suddenly defending me from them. I didn't know how it had gotten to this but I was now surrounded by people who were willing to protect me. Their presence boosted my courage; they gave me strength. And as I willed my power from the people who cared around me, my voice started to become louder; my words come out stronger.

"It's working. They're listening," Lord Boris mumbled as he and Captain Rowaen repelled the arrows that were thrown at me with their swords.

I looked around me and shouted, "Our blood has no color. There's no need to die for the sake of bloodlines! We can fix this together without shedding blood!"

More enemies were coming at me and at some point, I became the center of the battle. I looked around and watched in amazement as people tried to protect and attack me for my words. Words are powerful that if you speak the truth, it becomes a weapon against the liars; if you speak about the victims, it will rage the oppressors; and if you speak of peace, it will anger those who crave for war. I realized that my voice, no matter how small it was, could still be heard and change the tides. I just have to speak and scream until I could make a sound.

Hope flickered to light inside me. I began to believe that maybe if I tried harder and made them understand, I would be able to save more lives in this war. But more enemies were coming at us and there were only few Borgian warriors left to defend me. I stopped shouting when a figure suddenly made his way and appeared in front of me like a dangerous and sneaky pradator who found a way to its prey.

"General Kaveera," I muttered.

His sword was gleaming amidst the fire and the darkness. Its sharpness was cutting through the night and I knew that it now aims to cut my words and life.

"Please don't take this personally, Lady Primrose. We're in a war and I hope that by siding with the rebels, you're also prepared to die," he muttered in a casual tone. He knew that my defenders were busy from their fights.

"We have to stop this war. Innocent people are dying," I begged.

But he raised his sword in a skilful motion above his head. I understood that he wasn't just a man this time. He was a General who is leading his men in a war. His goal was to win.

Tears streamed from my eyes as I whispered in a hoarse voice: "No one wins a war. You know it."

I closed my eyes as I positioned my shield in front of me. No. The shield would not stop a powerful General like Amir Kaveera. That was why I frowned in disbelief when I didn't feel his sword and instead I heard the loud clank of blades in front of me. I was shocked to see that a young man appeared in front of the General and was now defending me against him. Genera Kaveera looked baffled as he dodged the young man's attack. It was clear that the General had more years of training than the challenger.

"Jak? What the fuck are you doing?" He asked as he glared at the young man called 'Jak' who is also wearing a South Land's soldier's uniform. I realized that he was the enemy I treated when I was positioned by the rock.

"I'm sorry, brother. I can't let you hurt her. She saved me back there and I can't just watch her die before my eyes!" Jak's words were full of determination as he stood in front of me as my defence.

"You're supposed to be in the camp and not in here! You're too young to be in a war!" Amir screamed furiously at his brother. The veins on his neck and temple were evidence of how infuriated he was.

"Well, I'm here now," Jak shrugged his shoulders. "I want to prove myself. And I don't think I'll be able to do that if I'm not man enough to protect the woman who saved my life."

The young Kaveera was hard-headed, that I was sure of. And as General Kaveera dropped his sword by his side, I knew that we would be safe from him at the moment.

There were still enemies who tried to attack me but Jak remained in his position by my side. General Kaveera knew that he wouldn't be able to stop his little brother that's why he raised his fist in the air to stop his subordinates from attacking and I watched in amazement as he joined my line of defense with Jak.

"No one's going to hurt Lady Primrose and my brother. If there's anyone who wants to try against it, be prepared to deal with my blade!" he declared in gritted teeth.

The South Land soldiers who were under his command began to position themselves to protect their General. The pirates and the Borgian warriors were surprised as they received help from them incapacitating other enemies. It continued until the tides of war completely changed and the odds were finally in our favor. Our forces increased as the South Land soldiers joined us that it even outnumbered our remaining opponents.

But then, the hope in our faces vanished when we heard the familiar marching of soldiers from the distance. We stood there stoically, preparing to confront more enemies. No one made a sound; no one dared to breathe. If that was our impending end, then we would face it with all our strength. We waited until a familiar soldiers' uniform from the East Land appeared from the forest and I smiled in relief when I saw that Tarnus was leading them. They marched to the battlefield with confidence and power, declaring that their presence was in support of the Borgian Kingdom. Behind the East Land soldiers were a group of ordinary people led by Lady Tanya Frost. I didn't know how the two of them ended up together as our reinforcement but nevertheless, I was grateful that they were on our side.

The arrival of the East Land soldiers and the citizens of different lands brought hope to the Borgian Kingdom and devastation to our foes. It decided the conclusion of the war and put an end to it when the enemies began to surrender. They dropped on their knees and their weapons on the ground and clasped their hands at the back of their heads in defeat. No one killed the conquered enemies. For us, the war is already over and the enemies would be our people.

One of the pirates screamed, "Long live, Borgian Kingdom!" And the rest happily joined him in screaming for victory. I felt my cheeks dampened in tears as I cried loudly. I couldn't scream with them anymore; my throat would not allow more torture.

A pair of strong arms enveloped me in an embrace and I realized that it was Threy when his lips crashed into mine. I kissed him back with the same intensity and smiled on his lips. I realized that whether it was victory or defeat, I would never regret staying in this great man's side. Our kiss ended and I felt my cheeks became warmer when I saw that people were watching around us. My eyes caught Jak grinning by his brother's side and they nodded their heads as I thanked them.

General Amir Kaveera put his hand on Threy's shoulder in a peaceful manner. "I am a soldier who vowed to protect my people and the South Land. Despite having the knowledge about the Borgian Kingdom, I still led the army believing that it was the right thing to do for I was bound by my duty. But seeing my young brother willing to give his life in this war, I realized that it needs to stop. I was wrong. Forgive me, your highness."

We were left in utter silence as the great General Amir Kaveera dropped on his knees and knelt before Threy – before King Remus Borgia IX of the Borgian Kingdom. Jak and the South Land soldiers, still eyeing General Kaveera with respect, followed him. Soon, all the soldiers, pirates, warriors, and even the ordinary citizens were on their knees for the King of the Borgian Kingdom. I didn't mind that the soil was scraping my skin. I was just so proud of the man the obnoxious Threy Weston turned into.

"The Borgian Kingdom will rise again. It will be stronger and much more powerful than it had been. And this time, it will be rooted deeply to the ground where it can be closer to its people – so that it can see your struggles, hear your pleas, feel your pain, and hold your hands. The Borgian Kingdom will serve the land, the sea, and the citizens living in it. This time, the power will be in the hands of the people."

People cheered for the Borgian Kingdom; louder and stronger this time. I didn't realize how long the war lasted until the sun began to rise at the East and showered us with its warmth light. Indeed, the land was rejoicing for the end of the war.

It was a dark beautiful morning symbolizing the beginning and the end. I watched them as they helped the injured. No colors and symbols of the land; we were working as one. There were a lot of dead people on the ground and it pained me knowing that they weren't with us anymore in welcoming the Borgian Kingdom. I didn't see Cecilia helping the doctors from the infirmary. My heart ached as I realized that it wouldn't be the same for most of us anymore. Despite claiming the victory, we still lost too much in this war; important people who were so dear to us that parting with them also meant losing a piece of our lives. No one wins a war.

I was so lost in my surrounding that I didn't notice Threy was already standing beside me. He still felt the same imperfect person I knew; it was just that he was a better man this time.

"You saved us," Threy whispered.

I shook my head and answered, "No, the Kaveera brothers helped us and the arrival of the East Land intimidated our enemies –"

He interrupted my words by placing a kiss on my forehead. I sighed into the comfort it brought me. His touch was like an assurance that we would have a better day for tomorrow. "You're a strong, powerful woman, Primrose. You're like a sun in the middle of the dark battlefield. Your good heart saved us," he insisted.

I didn't protest when he caged me in his arms again and sealed my lips with a kiss. I knew that it wasn't the end. The Borgian Kingdom was just getting back on its feet with the help of the people and the lessons we've learned from the past. We would never forget this day so we wouldn't have to repeat the same mistakes that led us to the tragedies of our lives. The Borgian King would face more battles and I would stay with him through each one of them. I would never leave him. I would be his little sun that would guide his path so he wouldn't lose his way. And this time, no land or sea could separate us.

"Long live, Borgian Kingdom!"