Sacrifices
My name is Livius; I was once a soldier of the Shinshi royal army. For twenty three years of my life I knew nothing of the world outside of Shinshi. One day however war erupted in the kingdom. A treacherous army from the outside kingdom of Sforza laid siege to the kingdom. I was among the first warriors to be called to battle.
On the bloody fields of Saffron the first of our soldiers fell but we remained vigilante and continue to force the marauding horde back. In our front lines our prince stood, a tribute to our kingdom showing that he was willing to die for Shinshi just as much as any one of the soldiers. Prince Kwan was handed the task of being the model of all Chonguns to come by fate.
At one point in battle the enemy finally seemed to be wearing down but it was not for long. To our horror thousands of reinforcements arrived to aid them in their cause. In the ensuing chaos I fought by our prince's side and the enemy's general appeared before us. Despite his pleas to fight I convinced the prince to allow me to protect him.
The battle was long and fierce both of us weaved an intricate dance of blades as metal clashed with metal. However the general's relentless onslaught of attacks soon weakened me and all I could do to keep myself resisting was to think of the prince and how much he meant to the kingdom. In the end there was nothing I could do to stop the general's blade from penetrating my defenses and plummeting towards my heart.
As I laid there bleeding watching the prince put up a better fight then I could have ever dreamed of doing. He defeated the general effortlessly but it was apparent the battle took its toll on him and after a fierce battle he fell to the enemies soldiers. After seeing him carried away I lost consciousness.
When I awoke I was informed the prince had survived his capture and was returned to us. I spent the rest of the war lying in a sick bed waiting for my wounds to heal so that I may once again join my comrades in the field of battle. Eventually a dark day fell upon us and the prince was once again captured in battle. Reports came back that he had felled over thirty men including top officers in the Sforza army after escaping his captures. However he was once again caught and executed.
After his body was returned to us the soldiers spoke of a feeling of courage sweeping over them. It seemed as though our forces had become faster and stronger from the feeling of respect for our fallen prince. I to felt the power seeping into my body but before I could fully recover the Sforza army was completely destroyed by us.
In the end I received a medal for courage in battle but it felt like an empty token without the prince standing by my side. Afterwards the king declared that an elite group of protectors would be formed in memory of Kwan. I was chosen among others to undergo the treacherous training in order to bare the title Chongun.
It would not be long until the power of these elite warriors would be tested. Our kingdom was afflicted with a bad harvest two years after the war. What had first seemed as a bad stroke of luck turned into something more serious. A gateway appeared in what had once been the battleground between Shinshi and Sforza, the Fields of Saffron. From the gateway emerged a beautiful enchantress by the name of Catherina.
She wasted no time in raining devastation down upon our fair kingdom. The royal army went to face her and every single soldier fell victim to her charms, voluntarily letting her strike them down one by one. The Chongun warriors were then called upon to do battle.
By training our bodies and minds we had become immune to the enchantresses charms and were the last hope of the kingdom. I filled with pride as I was chosen to be the one to lead us into battle. However the battle would not be as easy as I had thought.
We arrived in the fields ready to strike the final blow against Catherina. To the Chonguns surprise the royal army stood in our way, seemingly alive and well. Catherina had revived them so that they could serve her in battle. Although strong the Chongun warriors were outnumbered nearly ten to one by the army.
Despite how wrong it felt to attack our own army I had no choice but to order the assault. I decided the best course of action would be to send a small group of Chonguns to break through the armies lines so that we could attack them from both sides. Thankfully the plan worked with no loss of life but that luck did not last forever. Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade as well as the other Chonguns but it did not come without loss to us as well. Each time a fellow Chongun fell I could feel a small part of me dying as well.
In the midst of battle I caught site of Catherina standing on the far side of the battle field surveying the chaos before her. I broke away from the battle and charged toward her. When I finally reached her and proclaimed this day would be her last she only laughed. I drew my sword and began my attack on her. Even without a weapon she easily dodged my swings.
Calmly she pushed her hand out catching me square in the ribs. The attack sent me reeling of my feet and I flew several feet away from her landing on the ground with a loud thud. I clutched my ribs in pain and could only watch as she mercilessly strode towards me.
I staggered to try and get up from the ground but it was all for nothing. She reached down and grabbed me by my hair and with superhuman strength lifted me of the ground. Suddenly she let go and with a mighty kick once again sent me flying. I felt so hopeless in the situation but knew there had to be something I could do. Using all my mental power I pushed all thoughts of her from my mind and just concentrated.
I felt power once again flood into my body and I opened my eyes just as she picked up my fallen blade. She thrust it towards my throat and miraculously I was able to catch the blade between my hands. Despite the amazing strength she had previously demonstrated I was able to keep her from pushing the sword any closer. Finally I released all my power in a fury of energy.
My sword burst from her hands and into the air. I jumped up from my crumpled position on the ground and caught it. With a mere flick of wrist the cold steel contacted with her flesh and cut a smooth line from her hip to shoulder. I had finally won the battle and stood triumphantly above her broken body. A calm wind then swept across the field blowing the once proud Shinshi royal army to dust so that they could finally rest in peace. Despite all the sacrifices made I realized the full strength of the Chongun warriors and knew that whenever a call was made to combat those who wish to bring harm onto others we would answer.