[Contest decided.]

  [Sovereign of the Lionflame Kingdom has died.]

  [Ownership transfer complete.]

  [You are now the sovereign of unnamed territory.]

  Noah took in the messages with initial confusion before he remembered the circumstances they were currently in. He finished taking cover behind the flesh wall and waited for the incoming stampede. The others were wide-eyed, having seen the same message themselves.

  “Jeline was successful.” Recter mumbled to Noah’s right.

  “I guess so. I was starting to doubt that possibility after facing their warriors.” Noah admitted. Recter shook his head.

  “You never fought her, so you wouldn’t know. Her magic is impossible to stand against. I am not sure how she does it, but its almost like fighting yourself, stuck in an eternal prison in your own mind.” Recter hissed, shuddering as he remembered. Noah frowned, suddenly more thankful than ever for the queen’s peculiar interest in him. Noah realized then that the enemy hadn’t charged and his forehead knitted as he crawled up his side of the barrier. Peering over the edge, he saw the horde at a standstill discussing something amongst themselves. What are they doing? Ta’Ku, Recter, and Ne’Ja crept up beside him and they stared at their enemy in confusion, finding the sudden ceasefire more disturbing than a continued attack. It made them seem more real, more human.

  The leader of the beasts turned and glowered at Noah, baring its teeth in a wicked snarl. But then the beast began to change, shrinking and trembling until it resembled its prior form as a humanoid tiger. It frowned, staring at its paws and letting out a growl of frustration before locking eyes with Noah.

  “It seems your master was successful in her attack. I knew it was foolish to leave at the height of battle.” The monster announced, his voice strangely calm. He smiled as if struck by inspiration.

  “This is good. I will make a better leader than that stupid lion ever could.” He tilted his head at Noah and the orcs. “What to do with you though? You’re hardly worth enough XP to account for the losses. Perhaps for spite?” The beast mused aloud. Noah frowned, unsure of how to take the tiger’s nonchalance.

  “How ‘bout we strike a deal, human?” He asked. Noah blinked.

  “What do you propose?” He replied.

  “I will let you live, in return, you ask your master to refrain from attacking the city for the next month while we gather our belongings.” The tiger said. Noah tilted his head, finding the whole situation to be incredibly strange.

  “A month you say?” The beast nodded.

  “After a month we will be gone and out debt settled.” He assured Noah. Noah knew that the queen had no intention of attacking the city at all, so he saw nothing to lose.

  “I will ask. She will likely see the reason in it. I can make no promises though.” Noah replied. The tiger nodded.

  “That is the best I can hope for. We will take our leave then.” He said before turning toward the city. Noah couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched the beasts leave as if the mass carnage had never taken place. The others were just as shocked as them, and it wasn’t until they heard a rattling cough that reality snapped into place.

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  “Collect the wounded! Get them to Un’Dal!” He shouted before acting on the words himself. The dawn had yet to break as they searched for their living comrades amongst the dead, the glow of the stars casting an eerie scene. As it always went, it was only once the fighting stopped that the full brunt of pain set in, and this time was no different. Noah groaned as his cracked ribs sent waves of pain through him with every breath, only now recognizing the awkward limp in his left knee and the small bone jutting from his hand. He didn’t even know if it was his. He didn’t dare well on it as he searched the bodies, finding too many that had breathed their last. The battle’s end had left him unsatisfied but relieved as he knew too well that he wouldn’t have survived to the end. For some reason knowing that the battle meant so little to the enemy hurt all the more, as he considered the needless deaths of his tribe. No. He stopped himself before he could further dishonor their memory. They fought so that we could live. For us, this battle was our final stand even if it was inconsequential to our enemies.

  His heart wrenched as he found Ga’To and Di’Ma, their bodies marred and broken, lying still in the churned earth. No. His breath caught as he stared at his group members, the memories of their many battles flashing through his mind. Then he a twitch as one of the bodies moved ever so slightly. He frowned and moved closer, only to find that they lay on top of another. He quickly lifted their corpses off the warrior beneath, finding the tear-stained face of Shu’La the other female orc in his group. She was bloodied and seemed unable to move, and Noah realized that she was the one that they had been fighting to protect in the heat of battle. He smiled as he realized that they had fought to their final breath to protect their fallen comrade, and they had succeeded in delivering her through. He carefully lifted her from the ground in a princess hold and she leaned her head into his chest as he carried her across the battlefield.

  Noah was relieved to find Un’Dal and the apprentices alive and well, though they looked worn thin as they tended to the ever-growing line of patients. Noah smiled warmly at the healer, never so thankful as in this moment for his choice to heal rather than fight. Soon Ne’Ja carried in another injured orc, sharing a sad smile with him before they headed back together. He noticed several orcs standing in a circle and ran over to them to discover the cause. He heard soft sniffling as he approached and his heart dropped. Orcs don’t cry. He took a tentative step forward and the others parted to allow him through. Lying on the ground, was Ro’Kar his body pierced through with a spear-like antler still connected to the dead beast. Noah sank to his knees as the grief finally broke through his battle-fogged mind. Why?

  They would sing of his legend for days to come but in this moment the only fitting response in his heart was to mourn their great loss. Ro’Kar was the first orc he fought beside, taking down the leader of the swarm side by side the night he was brought into their village. He had honored him as a berserker and made him one of their own. They broke bread and counseled, they laughed, sang, and suffered together. His grief was only interrupted by a pained moan that shook him from his stupor. His people needed him now. Noah rushed about in a blur until dawn crested and the harsh white light of the alien sun beat down upon them, its warm rays doing nothing to alleviate the deep chill that had set in. By the time they had searched every body, it was hours into the day and their grief only grew. 30 warriors died in battle, another 30 were gravely wounded, and only 10 warriors remained on their feet alongside the 5 healers that tended to them all. Ne’Ja drew up alongside Noah, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

  “No’Ah. It’s time.” She said, her voice soft and filled with sadness. He nodded, turning to the rest of his tribe, all gathered around the healers. He met their eyes, seeing their need for a leader, for something to cling to. He took a deep breath, setting aside his personal grief.

  “Today a new legend was written.” He began, his voice raw with grief and passion. “The founding of a kingdom, paid for in blood by the greatest of warriors. Enemies rained down upon us like relentless waves of a great sea and they failed to break us! Outnumbered and inferior in stats, these noble berserkers refused to turn aside as death claimed them. They knew that with every moment they fought on, they would save another of their kin, paving the way to their ultimate victory!” Noah said, his voice raised even as tears filled his eyes.

  “So today is a day of great triumph and new beginnings! The birth of our kingdom and our eventual victory over the beasts that lay claim to this land. From this day forward we will be know as the Kingdom of Ro’Kar!” He shouted. Those who could yell roared into the morning, and those that could not joined in whatever way they could manage. They spent the entirety of the day adding their companions to the great legend and ushering them to their final end.