February 24th, 1846.

  Bloodrunners were always ugly beasts. To me, they were the most terrifying beasts here. I'm sure the elves traveling the trail would agree.

  Three elves were sent on what seemed to be a scouting mission. They walked toward us, using a torch to light their way. The bloodrunner must've smelt them. The first elf was torn open without a fight as the feral, bipedal, wolf-like man with ears longer than the elves and claws so sharp they put our sabers to shame. The second elf, a much bulkier man, used his torch and sword to attempt to ward off the beast. The bloodrunner was slashed and cut but killed the elf once its deep fangs dug into the elf's neck and ripped out the flesh, sending blood spraying onto the last elf. The final elf, an archer, loosed an arrow that struck deep in the bloodrunner's hip. The bloodrunner let out a hiss. It was hurt. But the bloodrunner persisted, slashing and clawing at the elf who met each slash with the whip of his bow. The elf fell to the ground fighting, but the beast's jaws clamped down on his throat and began sucking out his blood.

  "Kill our smell," I ordered. Jason nodded, throwing a pepper garlic mix on our boots.

  The blood runner sucked the last of the elf's blood before sprinting into the darkness.

  We had been trailing the elven army for days. It hadn't even been a week, and they've already taken heavy casualties simply by walking through the valley. Whether it be attack, disease, or simple suicide, the corpses of lost elves littered the path. Now they've broken into two armies.

  I looked through the binoculars, watching as two Inhumans on horses conversed. Before me, one was dressed in steel armor painted with a lush, purple hue, and an insignia now smeared and dirty, making it impossible to identify. He wore a purple banner on his back, barking out orders.

  "What do you see, Kasey?" Jason whispered and looked toward the large elven force, then toward Robert, who was rubbing his hands and letting out frozen breaths.

  "A frontal Vanguard is detaching from the main group," I observed and lowered the binoculars, letting them hang from my neck as I looked at Clint, who was smoking a pipe.

  "And that means?" Robert asked, turning to face me.

  "It means they're suspicious. We follow them and see what they're trying to scout out." I said and looked back at the elven army. The Vanguard had begun to move forward down into the valley. All three boys looked at me, and I lifted my chin toward the inhuman Vanguard.

  We went down the hill stalking the elves. Up one hill down another. Up one down another. The Inhumans were visibly tired. Many were limping, most were sick, and some were still wounded from previous beast attacks.

  As we climbed up another hill, I froze. Figures in the distance. They looked at me, raising their muskets. I lifted three fingers. My thumb, index, and middle fingers. He did the same gesture and lowered his musket.

  "Regulars?" Clint asked his voice low but undeniably filled hope.

  "No regulars fight with Muskets now," I muttered and raised my hands as we approached the men.

  The man had no uniform but wore clothes of a villager he was of age, his long white beard reaching his chest. As we approached him, I nodded a salute, and he did the same.

  "Mister? What are you doing here?" I whispered to the old man who looked at me and nudged his chin to the elven army.

  "A young boy spotted the elves. We didn't believe him but then I saw it myself! Those ugly bastards are coming straight to our village. We sent a call to the national guard and other militia, but we have to hold the elves here just a bit and buy some time. Speaking of that, you're wearing the campaign blues. National guard?" He asked, raising an eyebrow toward me.

  "Us? We're just a patrol of regulars." I answered and looked back toward the team then at the old man.

  "Well. I hope you regulars would be kind enough to help us." The old man said and then looked toward the valley as the elven torches began to get closer.

  "I'll see," I stepped back into the woods, looking back at my team.

  "Are we helping?" Clint asked as he pulled his rifle into his hands.

  "At a distance. Miltia has no chance of winning, and I won't let you die. Now get down their getting close." I said and crouched down, pulling my breechloader into my hand as we approached the valley.

  The elven detachment began to go through the valley. In that moment, a group of militia, perhaps fifteen men, directly opposed them from the opposite side. Murmurs, whimpers, and even frantic yells erupted from the elves.

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  It seemed like the elf holding the banner refused to halt as he aimed his sword at the militia barking something out in his language.

  I looked toward the old militia man who wasn't alone but now accompanied by about twenty other militia men. I heard them pulling the hammer of their muskets.

  "Hurry! Battle positions pick a target," I commanded and watched as the team raised their rifles aiming at the elves.

  I opened the hatch to my rifle, slid in a bullet, and closed it, pulling back the hammer, aiming toward one of the elves in armor.

  "Let's see how good that armor works against this," I whispered, and then heard the sound.

  The first volley erupted, then a second and the third, followed by my team's. I watched the elves begin to scramble in terror, trying to form shield walls as Archers fired blindly in all directions.

  "Fire and move!" I yelled and sprinted toward a new position stumbling in the snow hiding behind a tree fumbling with a bullet as I slid it into the breech of my rifle flicking the hatch closed and holding my breath as I turned over aiming the elves aiming to the shield wall and firing, the powder of musket fire now covering the air screams echoed from the elves more volleys cracked open but soon screams of humans began to shrill in my ears.

  Jason fumbled toward me and crouched down his eyes, looking up at me, his lips quivering.

  "Fire!" I yelled and loaded a bullet into my rifle before I ran toward the militia sliding behind them Jason chasing behind me falling on his face before turning over and kicking himself up raising his rifle and firing toward the elf his shoulder kicking back from the recoil.

  Suddenly, the sound of whistling cried out as a volley of arrows came down one hitting a man as he fell back, twisting in pain as he began to scream. I looked down at him and then grabbed the arrow, pulling it out and throwing it into the snow.

  "FALLBACK!" Someone ordered. I watched the muskets erupt, leaving black smoke before the militia began to retreat, running into the darkness of the forest. I looked back at Jason, who was frantically looking around. I grabbed his shoulder and whispered.

  "Where's Clint and Robert!?" I whispered desperately before letting him go and ran deeper into the forest.

  There, I found Clint holding his cap low before his head, and looked up at me and said.

  "Kasey! Glad to see you for once." Clint exclaimed and smiled before pulling himself up with a groan.

  "Where's Robert?" He asked before I shook my head and opened my mouth before the crack of a rifle rang out.

  A silent mutual agreement overcame us, and we sprinted toward the source, stopping short to see Robert running away from two elves chasing after him. I raised my rifle aiming, Jason followed suit both rifles fired before the gunshots echoed both elves fell to the floor. I ran toward the body, thrusting my bayonet into the inhuman.

  I pulled my bayonet back and looked up at Robert. We both stood in silence, the only sound being our heavy breaths. I pushed him forward as we climbed up a hill before collapsing on the ground as we reached its peak.

  A horn blew, and the entire Vanguard retreated. We watched from afar their heads low some trembling in fear their leader himself was so frightened that he couldn't keep the reins of his horse still.

  "They pulled back," Jason muttered, his head watching the elven army leave before flicking open the breech of his rifle, the shell flying into the sky.

  "We won?" Clint asked before his shoulder slumped as he let out a deep breath.

  "No.. but we didn't lose either," I whispered and looked at the narrow valley. I descended down the hill emerging upon the valley, a chill running up my spine as I saw the scene before me.

  The snow was no longer pure white but stained with puddles of blood from elven corpses, many in the same circle they had taken to defend against our fire. Looking up the valley were five corpses. Humans. Miltia. Simple men who wouldn't be dead if it weren't for this invasion.

  The blood and snow under my boot crunched as I approached the corpses, my rifle trembling in my hands. All of them had died by the inhuman arrows, their blood now dry and completely drained from their bodies as they turned blue on the cold frozen ground, their eyes staring into ours with undoubted fear.

  "Close their eyes.. their souls will protect the village soon," I ordered and turned around, hearing the faint whisper in the snow.

  I hovered over the inhuman His hands reached up to me before he froze his arm falling limp reaching to his side he pulled up his tunic and chainmail to show a bullet wound deep in his stomach still gushing blood.

  "Your call, Lance Corporal," Robert said as he stood beside me.

  "Leave him. There's no need to waste a bullet." I turned around and walked back to the human corpses where Clark and Jason both were whispering to the dead before looking up at me.

  "We won't give them the satisfaction of seeing our dead. We take them." I grabbed a corpse, sitting it up before hauling it on my shoulder, the weight already digging into me.

  Everyone else did the same, and Jason and Clark dragged the last corpse as we once again entered the safety of the forest.

  Once far enough away, I laid down the body, the heavy weight still burning my shoulder. We cleared the snow, laying the bodies on the ground before covering them with the same snow. Their muskets lay on top of the tomb

  "Lance Corporal. I counted about twenty-something dead. We only took five casualties. That's a ratio of five for one or something.. it wasn't in vain." Robert uttered, placing a hand on my shoulder sighing before rubbing his head.

  I lifted my shaking hands covering my face closing my eyes for what felt like hours before wiping the snow and dirt off my face and letting my arms fall as I took a final glimpse at the tomb taking a step back and shaking my head.

  "It's still someone dead," I mumbled, slinging my rifle on my shoulder before looking at my watch.

  1:29 pm

  I looked up at the dark sky, the stars shining ever so slightly as if looking back at me even when it's supposed to be day, but darkness never ceases in this land.

  And then we wandered aimlessly yet guided. To a point deep in the woods yet close enough where we could see the Icicle town. Small so very small. The silence was broken as Robert spoke.

  "Lance Corporal. Take a seat, won't ya? I found this in an inhuman's pocket." I turned around watching as Jason turned his lantern on, and Robert held up a black square. I stepped closer and placed my hand on it, tugging slightly before it snapped into two. I observed my piece and then Clark before whispering.

  "It's very fragile. What is it exactly..?" I asked, watching as Robert shrugged his shoulders before smelling it.

  "It smells like.. surgery. like a sweet treat yet different." He observed the dark object before taking a small hesitant bite, the object snapping into another piece in his mouth. Slowly and cautiously, he began to chew before swallowing.

  "Well?" Jason asked.

  "It's. It's like butter yet very sweet and bitter. And it melts in your mouth rather quickly." Robert said and smiled softly before Clint snatched the object from him and took a bite. Then Jason took the piece from him, also taking a bite.

  Clint immediately spat out the dark treat while Jason practically bounced in place with joy.

  "It's too sweet!" Clint complained

  "I say it's amazing!" Jason exclaimed and took another bite.

  Looking down at the object, which somehow had begun melting in this cold climate. I took a hesitant bite hearing the snap of the object. I began chewing. The hard object melted into a creamy, sweet, thick liquid, which I swallowed before smiling.

  "It's..odd. We'll call it sweet tobacco." I said and chuckled as Jason and Robert began fighting for the last piece.

  I threw myself down on the snow and looked up at the sky before asking.

  "Shall we make lunch?"

  "It's Clint's turn this time!" Robert said and sat down, pulling out a small guitar strapped to his knapsack, and began strumming and humming.

  "I'm happy to announce we shall be eating a very old stew once again! Maybe this time, it isn't so frozen." Clint said and began setting up the fire.

  Jason laid down next to me and looked toward the town as he then said.

  "Enough playing Robert. My ears are already damaged enough."

  "Funny," Robert said and only played louder.

  I lay on the cold frozen ground listening to their constant bickering a yawn escaping me before I then took a final bite of the sweet tobacco and smiled faintly.