85 Master and Commander (2/2)
”Y-yeah… Darah wants to force a confrontation with the enemy's great general.” I faked checking that the straps of my breastplate were secure to my coat to avoid Aura's gaze. I didn't want to blush even more. ”It'll be our job to make sure no one interferes.”
Aura had gotten close enough to lean toward me, and I thought she smelled of something flowery. Perhaps lavender or rose, I couldn't really tell. Only that she smelled really good.
”So we're really picking a fight with the Dagger Spell group?” Aura asked.
Her voice brought me back to reality and away from la-la-land.
Get it together, Dean. Now isn't the time to think about how pretty she is , my brain chided. ”Y-yeah. Plan's the same. We cause enough noise to attract the attention of interested parties.”
”Azuma and his master,” Aura nodded. ”We'll be ready for them this time.”
Momentary anger flashed in Aura's eyes as she said this. I could relate. Like me, Aura wasn't around when our unit was decimated by our next opponent's ambush. She wanted payback for our dead comrades just as much as I did.
A rumbling sound reached my ears.
I turned away from Aura and sent my gaze forward, toward the front of our line where a single hand was raised in the air.
General Darah had finally shown herself, and the soldiers in front were celebrating her presence with a rousing call that cascaded all the way to us in the middle and beyond. But by the time it had reached the back line, the rumbling noise had grown to deafening cheers.
My own voice joined the crowd. Even Aura's cheer was just as loud. Collectively, our army yelled a single name to the heavens, ”Dara~~ah!”
Only a great general like Darah could raise our morale to sky-high levels with no need for a speech. Words seemed unnecessary when just showing up made the soldiers feel invincible.
Our pump-up ritual went on for what seemed to me like hours. We were that caught up in it. But surely only minutes had passed before the cries of ”Dara~~ah” died down and was replaced by a thunderous explosion that swept the opposite of the field.
The enemy's own cheering was so loud that even my mount seemed to cower back from the noise, forcing me to hold his reins tight to keep him steady. And from atop Myth Chaser, I saw it—the gray flag with its symbol of the outward-facing open palm—rising up at the very front of the enemy's lines. And right above this flag, astride a black pegasus with wings unfurled as it soared above the sky, was an elven warrior dressed all in shiny black.
The black pegasus circled around Spellweaver's flag as it descended to the earth. And as soon as their general touched ground, the enemy's cheers doubled in intensity until it seemed like an earthquake had sprung to life beneath our very feet, bringing with it a matching wave of uncertainty and fear that swept through the ranks of our Darah army.
Even more than the shaking underneath me, it was the quaking of my heart I worried over. I didn't consider myself a scaredy-cat, but I couldn't help but feel fear seep into me as I watched the enemy's rallying cry. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.
Darah must have sensed our army's growing unease because she'd ordered her personal guard to raise her own banners high above her.
The sight of the Iron Fist flying high above us was very effective. For me, it was like the earth had stopped shaking and all was finally still. My heart calmed.
There was, of course, a secondary effect. One that many soldiers in our army felt the need to voice out. And with the return of our morale, the cheers of ”Dara~~ah” became ten times louder than before.
I leaned in toward Aura, did my best to ignore her intoxicating scent, and whispered in her ear, ”Looks like your aunt's plan worked. Spellweaver's finally on the field.”
Aura leaned in, our cheeks almost touching, replying with, ”Hope you're ready… It'll be our turn once everyone's done beating their chests!”
No sooner had the words escaped her lips when the rallying cries cut off and all became quiet again. It was like the calm before the storm made a brief return right before the thunder rang. It was the two great generals who shattered the quiet.
Almost simultaneously, both Darah and Spellweaver raised their weapons high, and with a single word of ”Charge!” initiated the beginning of the final night of this war.