[ WP ] You thought you were a healer . In fact , you have the ability to reverse the effects of time on anything you touch .

The Kingdom of Aldruin had lasted over five hundred years through famine, plague, and war. And in just two days, the orc legion had burned half of it to the ground. Now, the same army approached the capital walls, the last bastion left for the kingdom. 
 
 The capital was a testament to Aldriun ’ s legacy. Marbled walls stood a hundred feet high, extending into the twin mountain ranges the city was built between. It was the greatest fortress mankind had to offer and the one tasked in preventing an invasion from the unmapped regions of the world. Its fall equated to the fall of humanity. 
 
 Ryan sat atop these walls, his legs dangling off the edge. Wind tickled my face as Ryan watched the second sun peek from behind the western mountains. The first sun dangled at its apex, cooking the already rotted meat of his dead comrades. They stewed in the battlegrounds beneath the walls. Even from up here, Ryan could still smell the iron, acrid stench of blood and flesh. 
 
 “ Captain, ” Mariah said and took the seat beside him. “ How ’ s the view? ” 
 
 Ryan flashed her a grin. “ Good as ever, lieutenant. Are my men up? ” 
 
 “ The Halafax boys are always up and ready. Must be their youth. Maeve is snoring between spellbooks and Gareth sharpening his swords. If the sentries spot any movement, we ’ ll be ready for combat at a moment ’ s notice. ” 
 
 Ryan nodded. “ Good work, Mariah. ” 
 
 “ That ’ s lieutenant to you, captain, ” she returned with a crescent grin. “ We ’ re on duty. ” 
 
 They both returned their gaze to the rising Second Sun as it cast ever growing shadows across the plains. The battle was coming, the last one humanity had to offer and they would lose. It was written in the downcast eyes of every soldier in Aldriun. The orcs just numbered too many. Aldriun would need a second army to overcome them. Unfortunately, they only had this one, already dwindled down to a fourth of what it used to be. The other three fourths were left for the vultures in mud below. 
 
 “ Captain, ” Mariah said, her voice soft. “ Are you okay? ” 
 
 Her captain glanced over. “ Why do you ask? ” 
 
 “ Because you ’ re not used to death. ” And there it was, the bluntness that Ryan had always loved about Mariah. Though now, he found his lips curling into a frown. 
 
 “ I ’ m a soldier, your captain nonetheless. Do not coddle me. ” 
 
 “ Not just a captain, Ryan. The only captain to have never lost a man. The only healer the army even allows to command a squad. I ’ m not coddling you, I need to know to perform my duties as your secondary. ” 
 
 Ryan pushed himself up and drew his eyes to the advancing black line in the hills a mile out. “ Today, we ’ re soldiers, ” he recited the words from memory. “ Tomorrow we ’ ll mourn. ” 
 
 The church bells resounded through the air. The echo of shouts bellowed from the city below. The time had come for humanity ’ s final battle. 
 
 *** 
 
 Austin Halafax was his brother ’ s elder by two hours and he never once let Perry forget that. When the army handed out extra rations, he would always steal a little off his brother ’ s plate and swallow it whole before even the protests could begin. And in battle, he charged headfirst so his little brother would always be safer at his flank. 
 
 Truth was, he had never wanted Perry in the army. When he had snuck from home to lie about his age and enlist, Perry had followed him and done the same. Unfortunately, if he ratted his brother out, the boy could do the same to him. So he made a simple promise, one that he would live and die by—Perry would live longer than him, if only by two hours. 
 
 As luck would have it, they were both recruited into Captain Heartfield ’ s squad, the only squad to have never lost a man. Though that didn ’ t mean he never would. 
 
 “ I ’ ll grab Maeve, ” Austin said. “ You grab Gareth and we ’ ll meet at the city gates. ” 
 
 Perry nodded. He always did. After all, he wasn ’ t just the youngest of the brothers, but the youngest on the squad. He had the least battle experience and where others stepped up to the task, he would shrink away. Unlike the other soldiers, he could care less about glory and legends, he just wanted to be a good brother and for them to one day return home together. 
 
 Austin found Meave inside an old cement cube that used to store grain. Now it stored her books, mountains of them piled up in corners for the moths to eat. She sat in a wooden chair, her head on the table, drool wetting the wood. He found his eyes drawn to her shortcut top. Maeve was gifted in more than just magic. 
 
 “ Don ’ t you know it ’ s rude to stare? ” she muttered and yawned. 
 
 Austin jumped back, his eyes darting to the nearest wall. Blood rushed to his cheeks. “ I wasn ’ t staring. ” 
 
 “ Sure thing, sweetie. ” Meave grinned. 
 
 While the Halafax boys had fooled the captain and the idiots in recruiting, she had always known. They were only sixteen years age. Though she figured that was plenty old enough to decide things for themselves so she never told. After all, she had been cast away as a witch at fourteen. If she could survive until eighteen, so could they. 
 
 “ The captain wants everyone at the city gates ten minutes ago. ” 
 
 Meave nodded and grabbed the staff beside her. 
 
 Only now did Austin dare look her way. He did so with furrowed brows. “ What have you been working on here? ” 
 
 A crooked smile split Meave ’ s lips. “ A new kind of magic. An army destroying spell. ” 
 
 *** 
 
 Ryan ’ s squad met at the city gates where Maeve promptly dragged them off to a hidden alleyway so she could inform them of the only way humanity survives this war. 
 
 “ You ’ re sure the spell works? ” Ryan asked. 
 
 Meave shrugged. “ In theory. ” 
 
 Gareth whistled. “ A spell this powerful will change the world. ” Gareth loomed over the rest of Ryan ’ s squad. He was a massive man who, in combat, preferred his great shield over his mace. 
 
 “ In theory, ” the sorceress repeated. “ It ’ s a long spell and I won ’ t be able to defend myself while casting it so I ’ ll need support. ” She flitted her eyes to Ryan. “ And permission, sir. ” 
 
 “ Meave, ” Ryan said and caught her eyes. “ Consider it an order. The price for disobeying your captain ’ s order is a hanging. Under no circumstances will you go against my word. ” 
 
 Meave suppressed a smile. Ryan had always been far too kind for war. A spell this power would hit not only the orcish army, but their own as well and with those words, all responsibility would fall onto his shoulders. She nodded back at the man who had saved her when she was only fourteen years old. It was about time she returned the favor. 
 
 *** 
 
 Vultures perched at the edge of the city walls. They knew. A feast was coming. The orcish line had advanced into archer range. Though powerful magic protected them from every steel-tipped projectile Alduin had launched their way. The final battle would be by sword and shield. 
 
 The soldiers stood in front of the city gates, mere feet away from corpses of their fallen friends. From here, they could already spot individual orcs. The clamor of armor and feet boomed as if the orc army stood only a hundred yards away. Like the deep bellow of thunder. 
 
 Something wasn ’ t right. Mariah squinted at the army. Their size was impressive, but from this far away, their noise didn ’ t match up. Her eyes widened as she finally figured out the trick. 
 
 “ Meave, ” she screamed! “ Their barrier affects light. ” 
 
 Maeve gasped before beginning the spell to counter their barrier. But there was no need. Whatever shaman had cast it had also undone it. And suddenly, an entire orcish army stepped in front of them a stone ’ s throw away. 
 
 Ryan twisted his head toward his squad. “ Take to the walls! ” he screamed and then was drowned out by the roar of orcish brutes and the stampede of twenty thousand swordsmen. 
 
 *** 
 

