[ IP ] The Last Stand

The battle was over before it had begun. 
 
 Not many had believed that they would manage to defeat the cats. It just was n't possible. Those monsters had advantages in almost all aspects that were important: height, weight, armour, weapons. It was a losing battle that should n't even have been initiated. 
 
; We should have just kept our heads down and our noses to ourselves', Kaeso hissed to himself, uncomfortably aware of the fact that his head was bare and his shield was battered. He could feel the bristling fur of the legion commander – the only other rat left alive apart from himself – behind him, gently brushing against his back in a vaguely heartening gesture. The blood that he could feel starting to stick against his own dark fur went ignored. Gallus was panting, helm perched precariously on his head and sword and shield drawn protectively in front of him. 
 
 It was worryingly quiet. Mist had long since settled down close to the ground, both aiding and worsening the situation. The stench of blood was thick in the air, the corpses of their fellow comrades covered in a white blanket of fog. Footing was treacherous. Kaeso could feel the fur on his back prickling in a manner that reminded him of feeling hunted. It was a feeling he had gotten well acquainted with in the past few months. 
 
 “ It was nice knowing you, Soldier, ” Commander Gallus grunted, head swivelling as he searched for their foes. The darker rat made a small noise, eyes peeled in the dark and sword held in wavering paws. 
 
 “ It was nice serving with you, Commander, ” he finally uttered, feeling a heavy sense of finality settling into him. “ I wish this had gone down some other way. ” 
 
 “ So do I, Soldier, so do I. ” The sky had long since turned dark and the low sounds of nocturnal life were tarting up. Just what we need: more enemies. The Owls will come out soon and our alliance with them has long since expired. He regretted leading his troops into battle now. He had had the opportunity to stop the madness, to start a revolution, but he had not had the strength to follow through. 
 
 I should have left, he mused bitterly, ears strained to catch any sound. He could hear the barest whisper of a being moving around.'Born to be oppressed, just like my entire species. We should all have lived hidden away. Freedom, bah! Does this look like freedom? Our people are dead. We have no one to go to. What use is freedom when the ones who want it are all gone? Our oppressors still reign supreme.' 
 
 “ Sir, enemy sighted, ” Kaeso said quietly, resigned to his death. Gallus' face solidified in a final snarl. Pulling his battle-weary limbs together, he raised his sword again. 
 
 “ I'm sorry about everything that happened, Soldier. ” 
 
 “ It's too late for it now, Commander. We made our choices when we did n't desert, ” Kaeso grinned, twisting his head for a second to bump whiskers with the older, paler rat. “ One more time, with feeling? ” 
 
 “ As I always do say. ” 

