NOVEL NEXT 79. What Is A Nation Worth?
"They're retreating…" Liam mumbled beneath his breath.
Tucker gazed at the enemy soldiers who were scattering before them. Their structures had fallen, and with the broken golems, there was no longer a reason for them to keep pushing. His eyes locked on the Empire's general from afar, and surprisingly, the foe looked right back at him.
He furrowed his brows and scoffed. Tucker hadn't expected anyone to notice him, but for the enemy general to stare back meant that his killing intent had leaked too far. Tucker snapped his fingers to the side, drawing his men's attention.
"Raise the flag."
His words caused the Thirty-First to hoist the Everheart Kingdom's flags across the bastion. It's proud azure colors fluttering in the wind with a crisp snap. Colors shimmered under the sunlight, as if the fabric was rippling with life. The breeze tugged and twisted the cloth with the four stars and crown proudly swaying in the wind.
"Sir, why do you want the flags raised?" Liam asked.
"It's to make a statement," Tucker replied. "One that the Empire will remember."
Liam nodded and gazed at the curtain walls. Flags were being raised across the perimeters, and the men were cheering… but for some reason, that same warmth wasn't in the eyes of his captain. "Is everything alright, Captain?"
Tucker's gaze lingered for a moment as he adjusted his leather hat. There wasn't a point in having his men worry about him. He needed to keep his composure so that everyone's morale wouldn't drop. Tucker forced a smile, patting Liam's shoulder. "Yeah, keep an eye out in case the Empire makes any suspicious moves and let me know if they do."
"Yes, sir!"
Tucker watched the young soldier's smile widen and made his way down the stone steps. The men were celebrating their victory. Their cheers loudly rang in his ears but didn't resonate with him. After all, he needed to pay his respects to those that had fallen. He passed by the injured soldiers and gave them a nod filled with respect. They rose to salute him, but before they could even stand, Tucker stopped them.
"Rest for now." Tucker walked by the soldiers as they fell back onto the wooden crates and cold dirt floor. Many had suffered in the battle—it was a miracle they survived. Out of the three hundred soldiers he had under his command, roughly forty of them were still recovering from their injuries.
Jess's squad had rescued all of them, and for that, he couldn't be thankful enough. Yet, from around the corner, he could hear a muffled voice that was on the verge of breaking. Tucker quietly entered the open courtyard that the Thirty-First had used for training. In front of him were six bodies with white covers placed over and the leader of the rescue squad, Jess.
She sat there with her shoulders barely moving. Her hands trembled against the grey stone bricks, tears dripping onto the same ground their blood had soaked. She held back each breath and barely managed to keep herself calm once Tucker came into sight.
"Sir…" Jess kept her head down as the tears continued to fall.
From her shaken appearance, Tucker didn't utter a single word and silently stood beside her while staring at his fallen men. He waited for her to regain composure and stared at the names written on the white sheets from left to right.
James… Tim… Anthony… Oliver… Max… and finally Alfred…
They were all names he memorized once he took on the responsibility of training the Thirty-First. But to see their lifeless bodies before his eyes was another story. Tucker stared at the hand that held onto Alfred's dying body. If only he had been stronger, then would they still be alive?
"I'm sorry." Jess wiped the tears from her swollen eyes with the back of her hands. "If we had been faster, then we could have saved them."
Tucker shook his head. He was there when Alfred died, and from the arrows that punctured his organs, it was already too late. If his men had created their fourth or fifth star, then it would be possible for them to survive such an attack, but they had only created their second or third at best. "It's not your fault. I should have been stricter with them."
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"You were already strict enough."
Tucker listened to her trembling voice and sat next to her. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but thanks."
"For what?"
"For saving the lives of my men." Tucker kept his gaze forward. "I would have lost many more if it weren't for you and your squad."
Jess hunched over, arms wrapped tightly around herself. She tried to hold it all in, but the sniffling kept breaking through. The shaky breaths drawn through her quivering lips struggled against the tears that wouldn't stop. He knew that the war would be unforgiving and spent days mentally preparing himself, but after experiencing it firsthand, a pain filled his heart.
One that didn't go away, no matter what he tried.
Tucker reached into his leather pouch and pulled out a handkerchief before handing it over to her. Jess glanced up and slowly accepted it, wiping her tears with the soft fabric.
"When will this war be over?" She whispered.
He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "I don't know, I really don't."
"Do you think we'll win this time?"
"I do."
"Why?"
"Because there are men who will die for the nation."
Jess stared at the shrouded bodies, her voice breaking as the words slipped out. "But what is a nation worth?"
The question echoed in Tucker's mind as he looked at her for a long moment. The Kingdom itself was just dirt and borders, like the Empire, but the fundamental difference was what the people had built on top. No value lay with the flags that fluttered with the wind, but with those who stood beneath.
"A nation by itself is worth nothing." Tucker rose as he caught sight of Luka standing at the entrance. "But for the people who call it home, it's worth everything."
A silence filled the area. Jess bit the bottom of her lip in frustration. "Then how many will die?"
Tucker hesitated and stood still, looking over his shoulder. "As many as needed."
He continued down towards Luka, who paid his respects to the fallen. His words left her speechless, but for some reason, she couldn't argue back. What was the price of freedom? That question plagued her mind, but only those who reaped the benefits of their sacrifice would be able to answer it since they would be the ones to continue their legacy.
.
.
.
The sound of their footsteps echoed against the rigid stone walls. Tension filled the air as Luka walked beside Tucker. He knew his friend cared too much for those around him. Even though he had changed and stopped wearing his heart on his sleeve. Tucker was always the most emotional one out of the three.
"Are you alright?" Luka asked.
Tucker glanced at his friend. "No, but that doesn't mean I can show it. Why? Is it obvious I'm putting up a front?"
"Well, you usually suck with these things."
"Usually?"
"Yeah, but right now, it's pretty believable for someone with bad social skills like you."
Tucker felt the corner of his lips twitch, but soon scoffed once he saw Luka's smug grin. "Quit messing around and tell me why you came looking for me."
The smile on Luka's face dropped as the shadows grew. He uttered in a voice only the two could hear. "We lost the fourth bastion."
Their footsteps halted in an instant. The final words drowned out Tucker's surroundings as he slowly faced his friend. His fists tightened, and the searing pain coursed through him. "What do you mean we lost the fourth bastion?"
"The Empire's forces tore it down with nonstop bombardment." Luka leaned against the walls of the stone corridor. His arms were crossed, not even a smile on his face. The sunlight didn't reach them here, only the shadows and silence.
No words came to Tucker's mind. If they lost the fourth bastion, that meant the Empire didn't simply retreat. They were reforming their ranks to push into the openings. He slowly exhaled, staring into the distance with a long and tired gaze. "How bad is the opening?"
"Besides the bastion being gone, there are several openings in the curtains as well."
"And what did the Commander decide?"
Luka tightly dug his fingers into his sleeves. "They want to send us and the Thirtieth as support."
Tucker narrowed his eyes. "We don't plan to abandon the outer walls?"
"No, the advisors suggested using it as chokepoints to funnel the enemy."
"Funnel the enemy?" Tucker released a bitter chuckle. "Are they stupid? They'll overwhelm us with their numbers and not only that, lay siege to our walls with their towers. Do we even have anyone to man what's left?"
"Not that I know of," Luka replied.
"Then what the fuck are we doing there?"
"I don't know. It's just the orders they gave me, the vice captain of the platoon." Luka kept his gaze on the ground and forced the words out of his mouth with resentment. "And we have to follow them."
A defeated sigh escaped Tucker's lips. He ran his fingers through his brown hair and fought back the sour feelings swelling in his chest. They would lose many more men, and for what? A few more meters of land? If the commander had listened to him, then they could have cut down the Empire's forces with hardly any risk. He wanted to curse their leadership for their decision, but if he did, the penalty would be too severe. He couldn't act out of line. Not anymore.
"What should we do?" Luka quietly asked.
Tucker adjusted his hat so that the wide brim blocked the sun from hitting his eyes. Smoke blanketed their once beautiful city and filled the skies with ash. From a distance, cannons erupted, carrying the wills of those who were still fighting. Yet in all of this, a decision needed to be made.
He looked toward the Thirtieth platoon and reluctantly spoke. "We'll follow our orders."