CHAPTER 48: DRAYYORS’S COMMANDER

They literally dodged their responsibility at this point.

They hid behind broken vehicles, trying to pass through the war zone and to the governor’s building.

They passed the back of wanting to fall buildings, Julian sticking behind the dumb soldiers.

It was not that he had a choice anyway.

Julian looked around, trying to find Rehul. He couldn’t see her, and it was sad because she could have been of great help.

The commander was just throwing bullets away, shooting them into the mouths of the Drayyorsain soldiers. Down to their throat and then full, into their chests.

Julian examined the monster of the commander.

He was very ruthless.

"Who’s that," he asked as they crouched behind the remains of a fallen building. He knew, but he wanted to be really sure.

"Oh," one of the soldiers said. "That’s the brother of the governor of the opposition’s planet."

Julian was intrigued.

’A family stuff?’

The soldier laughed as he saw that Julian paused and pondered.

"His brother is not that cut out for battle so he is the one that handles the physical combat stuff."

Julian nodded in the affirmative.

Just then, a vehicle swerved towards their direction, they were alarmed, thinking that it would crash into them but it fishtailed slightly, zoomed forward and then exploded.

"Oooh," a soldier exclaimed.

"There goes Sayt."

A head flew towards their direction and landed on one of the soldier’s hands.

The soldier panicked and threw it away.

"Damn! That’s its fuckin’ head!"

One of them sighed.

"I hate this place."

They came out of the position they were and bent down the main part of the city that was being destroyed.

They stood in the middle, their sides filled with fallen houses, dead bloody heads and an animal that looked like a cat.

Julian examined the place, hoping that he would see Rehul soon, as he was sick of wasting time with these dumb soldiers.

He knew he was strong, but he wasn’t going to show that now. He wouldn’t face the commander now.

What he wanted to do now was gain the trust of the soldiers fully by meeting the governor. Become governor and then lead the army of mech soldiers that will face off against the opposition.

They moved by the sides of the fallen building, doing so as to know when danger would come their way.

As Julian noticed, there was a commander leading the Drayyorsain soldiers. It was just that, it wasn’t from the soldiers in mech armor with him. The leader (supposed commander) was brave, Julian must applaud.

He had caught a glimpse of him fighting before. A helmet concealed his face and he was really brave.

But alas!, Julian knew how it would end. He could bet a large amount of money that the commander of the Drayyorsain soldiers would surely die.

He remembered a proverb he heard while still at Zyros.

It was:

’No matter how weak you are, when you are with brave ones, you’ll always be safe.’

Julian smiled sadly.

It was the opposite with this Drayyorsain commander.

He was sure his would be like this:

’No matter how strong and brave you are, when you are surrounded by idiots, be sure to die.’

Julian laughed very silently.

He had a gut feeling it would manifest rather too soon.

There was silence, except for the constant explosion of missiles.

Until...

...Boom!

A spaceship crashed into view. Careening into two buildings, it swept them off their feet.

Julian and the soldiers in mech suddenly ran and hid behind an already shaking building that looked like it would fall any moment soon.

They had no choice, they could only hope it didn’t fall.

But that hope didn’t last long.

Because then came the noise—sharp, piercing. Not a missile, not an explosion. It was the sound of metal dragging against concrete, stomps shaking the broken ground. Everyone looked.

And there he was. The opposition commander.

Julian snickered, he knew his gut feeling had been damn right!

His mech armor was busted open on one shoulder, but the man didn’t flinch. He came walking like a god that didn’t give a damn who prayed. Dragging a long iron staff, face half-covered in blood, half-covered in black dust.

The Drayyorsain commander stood at the other side, sword drawn, legs firm. Brave. Still brave.

Julian didn’t even blink.

He knew.

The opposition commander didn’t waste a word.

He didn’t raise a war cry.

He just walked.

And when he reached close enough—

It ended in two seconds.

The staff was flung, flipped, caught, and slammed down so fast. The Drayyorsain commander raised his sword, blocked it—barely.

But he didn’t see the kick.

Didn’t see the elbow.

Didn’t see the knife.

Blood sprayed in the air like a broken tank.

The knife went straight into the side of the neck, angled upward.

Then the staff came again. This time from below. It hit under the chin.

And the helmet came off with the whole damn head.

The Drayyorsain commander’s body staggered once, then fell.

Hard.

No glory. No final words, not even a hint of aura?

Just a..., a dead corpse.

One of the soldiers beside Julian swallowed hard.

"Fuck," he whispered.

Julian didn’t say a thing.

He just stared.

Because once again, he was right.

He had bet the commander would die so him dying now didn’t really come as a shock.

And he had expected some bit of toughness from the Drayyorsain commander.

But then, this was to show him how tough the opposition commander was.

Julian peeked at the monster of being.

It was looking around, trying to find another victim.

Where he and the other soldiers were was well hidden so he was safe for just a little time.

The commander, seeing no one, plunged forward, to find another victim.

Julian sighed.

He tried to look up ahead.

Nothing really convincing.

Up ahead teemed with the opposition’s soldiers.

Julian suddenly realized something, the fight wasn’t so fair anymore. The opposition was slowly winning.

Resting his back on the wall, trying to think of faster way to get up ahead and to the governor’s building, he heard the rumbling of tyres and Rehul’s sweet voice:

"Julian!"