The air parted with a flash of heat, inches from Ren’s face. There was a grunt from the soldier next to him as his body slumped to the ground. An arrow protruded from his chest. Ren stumbled back, his breath hitching. A drumming began in his chest and ears. The beat of a body knowing it was about to die. The drums of war. Soldiers around him raised their shields as an onslaught of matching red arrows began raining down over them. Ren lurched forward, raising his shield in sync with his unit. His arm throbbed with the impact, arrowheads peaking through the wood. One had cut through the skin on his forearm, allowing blood to drip down on his face. He could taste the copper on his tounge, and smell it in the air around him. He felt the rise and fall of his chest increasing. Soldiers were screaming, pleading for help. One nearby grabbed his ankle, nearly making him fall backwards.

“I’m sorry!” Ren huffed out, his eyes burning. His chest ached at the sight of their desperation.

“Archers!” the commander’s voice cut through the chaos. The two rows of men behind him raised the bows that had been slung over their backs. They nocked their arrows and raised their aim to the beat of the drums.

“Loose!” they released. Arrows soared through the air overhead as the enemy crested the hill.

“Attack!” with one word, soldiers charged forward, avoiding the bodies already scattered across the battlefield. Ren responded to the commands without thought. Following orders like a well-trained dog. He had been bred for this.

As he sprinted amongst the clanging of armor, their arrows made contact. Men fell away from the charging red wave. A howl came from his unit, his pack, pushing them, giving them hope.

The commander bellowed from ahead, “Swords!” metal scraped as they were unsheathed. Ren’s muscles adjusted to it like another limb. His body knew what to do. The sea of red approached. A growl rolled through him as the wave hit. Shrieks of pain, metal against metal, and those red drums rang in his ears. He fought for freedom, for family, for his fellow soldiers. These things he would die for.