Salvation Through War: Chapter 4 – Hatred Inflamed by Love

Chapter 4 – Hatred Inflamed by Love

I am woken up by Zephan’s kiss on my forehead like every other day. He’s already dressed in his usual armor and weapons on him.

“Good morning. It’s time to go and show you what I’ve had planned for Canis and the world,” Zephan says.

His words make me rush, get my armor and weapons, and go with him without a word. As we leave, the townspeople say goodbye and thank us again for helping them yesterday. I felt bad not helping to clean up the corpses I created and just leaving it for the guards to do, but there’s no reason to let it bother me now. The ride on horseback to an area that lies not too far from Canis’ borders takes longer than it actually is because of the anticipation. Once we reach the area, I see elves from all three kingdoms from the holy land, orcs, and normal humans from the northern and southern kingdoms. Many of the people that comprise this group are from Canis, some of whom are classmates and people that I remember, which surprises me.

The people that I remember say hi to me and how thankful they are to see me here and I only say thank you to them and agree that it’s good to see them as well. So, what Zephan said earlier before we started our quest about fewer people from Canis joining the guards and army is true and he’s presumably part of the reason. This camp has so many people in it. It’s almost like an army. There must be hundreds if not thousands of people from what I can see. From the top of a hill, I overlook the vast numbers of people while Zephan finalizes the plans with the group’s other leaders. Is this how Zephan going is to help us live a happy life? We seem to be no different than Canis by having this army of people. I mean what else could we need these numbers for? Eventually, Zephan leaves the tent where the meeting is with the rest of the leaders who go their separate ways.

“We’re ready, Freya,” he tells me.

“What are we going to do?” I ask. “Subjugate Canis into being peaceful?”

“No, we aren’t. This army is just to protect us in the event that we are attacked because we will bring peace across the entire world.”

“And how will we do that?”

“We have some of the best mages in the world that will cast a calming spell that will quell people’s bloodlust and make them want only peace. I’ve met a couple of these mages in my travels and they were part of the reason that I was convinced to get some many people from Canis to join this army, you especially included.”

“Why me?”

“Because I didn’t want to fight you and I wanted to give you a taste of the peaceful life so that you’d join me.” Zephan kisses me on the cheek and then holds my hands as he looks into my eyes. “Trust me, Freya. This is God’s will and how we will stop the constant wars and conflicts that the world has been in. You’re about to witness it before your very eyes.”

There’s seemingly nothing else for me to do or say so I go along with Zephan, his army, and the mages. The leaders of this group step up on a stage made of boxes and give a little speech talking about how everyone here wants to live a peaceful life and to end the constant wars and conflicts that are always happening around the world. I ignore most of it since I’m just as anxious as everyone else to get it over with and see this calming spell that’s supposed to make people peaceful. After the speech is over, everyone cheers and gets on their horses, carriages, and rides on conjured animals. As for me, I ride on a horse with Zephan again who kisses me again.

“It’s finally time,” he says with a smile.

I nod with a forced smile of my own before we head off. It’s not too long until we reach our destination, which is a fairly large town in Canis. From this distance, I see the town’s guards and people readying themselves for a fight and being uneased by our presence. A mage of the group uses a spell to bolster his voice and tells the town to send a representative out for negotiations. The town obliges as a noble dressed in a red and gold gown accompanied by five soldiers comes to us.

“What is it that you want to negotiate over? Be brief in your explanation because we of Canis do not take an army of this size walking around our home without our permission lightly,” the negotiator says.

Even though he must see me, Zephan, and the many others from Canis, he talks as if we aren’t. As if we’ve already been disowned and need to be reminded of Canis’ no-nonsense policy.

Zephan steps forward and says, “We wish to have you join us. Behold, the number of people we have recruited from around the world that are united in for the same purpose of bringing peace to the world.”

“And? Are you here to join the army? Your outfit, assuming it isn’t stolen, shows you to be a high-ranking officer of our army. The Church already fights to bring peace to the world. What makes you so different?”

“We’ll bring peace through non-violence.”

“Ha! As if that could ever happen. What fantasy world are you people living in? I’d like a part in it. I honestly do. War is the only way to subjugate the sinner without and within and to not do so is to give in to evil. Because you amuse me so much, I’ll let you leave without any kind of warning and won’t let the neighboring towns and cities know of you as long as you promise not to bother anyone else in Canis.”

“So, your answer is ‘no’ then?”

“It’s a vehement ‘no’.”

“So be it then.”

Zephan nods to the mages who have just finished the silent incantation for their spell. A fierce wind blows out from them that freezes the land around us for smiles and encases the negotiator and his soldiers alive in ice. Despite it appearing to be freezing, I don’t feel the cold nor do I feel uncomfortable because of the change but I do at the same time. Looking at the frozen people, I see their eyes looking all over and them speaking but I can’t hear their words. Going into town, I see that the same thing has happened to every man, woman, child, animal, and carnivorous plant.

“What’s going on?” I ask Zephan who is with me.

“This is the result of the spell of the mages. It took them at least five years to make it and it’s exhausted them, especially since it was targeted at everyone and everything except us. Even then, some mages had to cast shields around us to be safe,” Zephan explains.

“These people are still alive. Are we going to just leave them here like this?”

“They’ll be released once the spell’s full effect takes root. Once they are, everyone will be more inclined towards peace with violence only being a last resort. It may take some time, but it’ll happen, and they’ll be safe in their frozen chrysalis until then.”

This…this is wrong. We shouldn’t force peace upon people even if this counts as being non-violent. The rest of the army walks through this scene with some being disturbed, and yet, unwilling to stop moving. They rest in the town as the mages who did this sleep in beds made for them by the army. No, we shouldn’t be doing this and I have to do something and I know that they won’t listen to me. I know I can’t convince these people through words, which leaves me with no other option.

After putting the crystal into my sword and lighting it up, I yell out, “Zephan!”

Zephan turns around appearing to be confused and a little concerned.

“What are you doing, Freya?” he asks.

“You are committing such a heinously sinful crime that I have no choice but to kill you and your legions.”

“Are you honestly going to face us all by yourself?”

I charge at Zephan swinging my sword at him until he ignites his and defends himself, and then say, “Even if I’m the last soldier against thousands, I won’t give up.”

“Don’t you use my own words against me.”

Everyone around us just watches as the two of us fight. There’s something wrong in the way Zephan is fighting. He’s holding back while also not as he is being emotional. He overreaches, pulls his punches, and doesn’t strike hard enough even as I cut through his armor. I’ve got to be faster, fiercer, and strategic to remind him of himself and beat him in this duel. Holding back my own emotions and using the fighting style that Zephan taught me, I’m able to get the better of him until I completely tire him out. He’s now cut up, bruised, heavily breathing, and obviously on his last legs.

“Why are you doing this?! Why prefer war over peace?!” Zephan yells as he struggles to stand.

“To wage war is to not to kill and hate what is against you but to protect what you love,” I answer, which is another saying that Zephan told me.

We charge at one another for one last clash of blades that I win after five seconds. As Zephan falls, I hold him in my arms. Everyone around us is surprised by the result of the battle and talks among themselves as to what they should do.

With his dying breath, Zephan says, “Heh, I see that I taught you a little too well to fight.”

“You did. I’m sorry it had to come to this, but I had to do what was right,” I say.

“I understand. I really thought that this was the only way to bring peace to the world and still do to an extent. If you manage to somehow make it out of this alive, please try to make the world a peaceful place to live, so that people will experience days like that week we just spent with one another. It was the best week of my life. If not, then I hope to see you in Heaven where we’ll live out in a place that is always peaceful.”

Zephan’s words finally make me cry as I put my head on his chest and he holds my head.

“I love you, Freya,” he says with a fading voice.

“I love you too, Zephan. Zephan?”

He’s gone. The man who taught me everything I know and the one that I loved is now dead. His face is oddly peaceful with a slight smile on it. I can’t let this stop me from continuing to fight. No, this is only the beginning of my fight. As I pick up one of Zephan’s axes and my own sword, I get up and raise both weapons to the sky.

“Who’s next to face justice?!” I scream out.

The army around me starts to draw their blades and approach me. Lord God, give me the strength to face them and do Your will. Before one of my enemies can get close to me, I am engulfed in a flame that bursts from below the ground. This flame is hot enough to burn me and gives me almost unbearable pain, and yet, I embrace it and allow it to empower me. Once the eruption of flames is over, I look at my skin and see that it is bleached white. My outfit is black and white and my weapons are white and grey and are lit up with a white flame. In addition, my hair has grown longer and turned white with streaks of black in it.

So, this is what it’s like to become a white flame soldier. I’ve heard that people only become it in times of need or after intense training, but I didn’t actually expect it to happen to me. Maybe Zephan was right that I would become one, even if he was lying that I would. The army around me shields their eyes with their hands and arms as the light from my flames is too much to handle, which means that they’re all sinners worthy only to be executed since the white flame hurts only the guilty. I drop my sword to allow one of my hands to cast a fire spell.

“You will all burn for your transgressions, so repent while you still have the chance!” I say before throwing a fireball into the air.

The fireball ends up being larger and causing a bigger explosion than intended. It then starts to rain white-hot flames on everything and everyone around me. The flames melt the ice around me and free the people from their icy cocoons while not harming them. In contrast, those in the army are melting into pools of blood and visceral if they weren’t instantly turned to ash by the explosion. Some of them are somehow still alive as they live with only half their torso or half their body. These soldiers are put out of their misery by the guards and soldiers defending the town. It’s a wonder the town itself, and the animals and living vegetation in it are unharmed in addition to the people. What’s even more wonderous is the fact that Zephan is unharmed by the flames as they burn harmlessly on his body, which must mean his soul is in Heaven or at least in Purgatory, thanks be to God.

I tell the townspeople to take care of Zephan’s body before running to the gates of town to see that the army that I came here with is now running away. It’s my honest hope that they all repent and that this event has helped them to do so. The townspeople praise God, thank me, and cheer for victory. After which, I report what happened to the generals and teachers of Canis and then hold a funeral for Zephan, one where he is respected despite his apparent betrayal. I don’t stay after the funeral and just head to the barracks where I have my own special space. As I lie on the bed, I look into the white crystal of Zephan’s axe and remember the time we spent together.

“I’ll create a more peaceful world, Zephan. I promise,” I say.

Later in the week, I am asked to help in a battle against a horde of beastmen and I accept. I’ve already said my peace and had my time to relax. Now, it’s time to act, to fight for peace, to slaughter the enemies of truth and love, and to lay my life on the line for what I protect. Since I’m an elite white flame soldier, I am on the front lines ahead of everyone else. There are few other white flame soldiers, but I am sure we are enough even as I see the hundreds of beastmen aided by ratmen and bandits of all kinds.

As we all charge into battle, we sing, “For God and neighbor, we slay and labor. For those we adore and to protect truth forevermore. Let this bloodshed testify to our faith so that our souls will be sanctified. Amen!”

 

The End