The white light of dawn peeked past the horizon as the Dreamer army assembled at the base of the Hill, their attention solely captured by the crimson monument of despair in the distance.
At the head of the Army stood the Cohort of Changing Star, each member armed and standing tall.
Nephis stood on a large stone platform Audun had carved with his blade, her features glowing with an ethereal regality thanks to the light of dawn.
Changing Star studied the ranks before her with a hard expression, her eyes dull with subtle panic.
She quickly shot a glance at Audun, who had been standing a few paces away, as she jumped down from the platform.
Audun frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Nephis met his gaze with a flat expression.
"I forgot to prepare a speech."
"Huh? What do you mean you forgot?"
Audun flashed her a quizzical look, silently requesting that she elaborate.
Nephis simply gestured towards the Dreamer Army.
"I forgot to prepare the speech you told me about."
The swordsman stiffened.
"Well, uh. That's a little awkward."
Changing Star nodded.
"Indeed, it is."
The two fell silent for a moment as they both stared out at the hundreds of sleepers gathered before them.
"... So then, what should we do?"
Nephis shrugged.
"No clue. That's why I came to you."
Audun nodded slowly, processing what she had just said.
"Could you, uhm... Wing it? Y'know, improvise a speech on the spot?"
Nephis stared at him blankly.
"I'm not sure if you noticed, but I'm not the greatest with words."
"Oh yeah..."
Audun fell silent as he thought for a moment, pondering whether or not a speech was even worth the trouble anymore.
Originally, his plan was to use the authority of the Star of Vocalisation to empower Nephis's words and cast a sort of buff on the soldiers, but if the words that flew out of her mouth were absolute trash, the buff would be negligible at best.
Sure, Audun had complete faith in Nephis's charisma, but with long speeches, he wasn't sure if her noble facade would hold up, or even if the content of said speech would be anything particularly moving or powerful.
Thus, the swordsman was left with two options.
One: Call off the speech and raw dog the siege.
Two: Continue with the speech, possibly even delivering it himself.
Audun was well aware of the reverent way the Sleepers in the Bright Castle looked at him, and considering his status was, in a way, no less than that of Nephis's, his words would honestly be impactful enough to channel the power of the Star of Vocalisation.
The swordsman's gaze flickered to the army before him, anxiety gnawing at the pit of his stomach as he began to consider the possibility.
"I.... I can do the speech if you're unwilling."
Nephis raised an eyebrow.
"... But your flaw."
Audun waved off her concern.
"I can do it. I found a bit of a workaround not too long ago."
Nephis paused for a moment, briefly considering the idea before she flashed him a half-hearted thumbs up.
"Go for it."
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Murmurs broke out across the field as a slender figure stepped onto the stone platform, their lilac eyes gleaming as they stared down at the hundreds of sleepers.
Their visage captured the attention of everyone present, every dreamer of the army knowing who the person taking the stage was.
Audun tentatively cleared his throat as his heart began to thunder like an engine, the flaw that he had suppressed suddenly flooding his system with dense waves of terror and anxiety.
Fortunately, the swordsman was somewhat prepared for this.
Since his battle with Harus and being forced under the effects of the man's aspect, Audun had realised something rather interesting.
For his flaw to activate, he had to be able to perceive the other person in some way, shape or form.
Be it sight, hearing, or smell- as long as one of his primary senses picked up the presence of another human being, his rationale was practically toast.
Thankfully, however, Audun was quite used to operating without any senses.
Drawing in a deep breath, the swordsman drew mana from his heart, concentrating it in his nostrils to block his sense of smell.
Applying the same principle, Audun created a small, dense shield of mana and draped it over his pupils, blocking out his sense of sight while also having the unintended side effect of making his eyes glow.
Finally, he moved a tiny trace of mana into his ears- just enough to suppress the noise of others while allowing him to hear himself speak.
Now that he was supposedly on his lonesome, the flaw that had been gnawing at the pit of his stomach ceased its assault, allowing him the reprieve he could only access while in solitude.
Audun cleared his throat, amplifying his vocal cords with mana while manipulating his authorities.
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(Random Soldiers POV)
My name is Hugh Janus.
I'm 24 years old, and I've been living in the southern quarter of Bright Castle for the past 6 years.
I normally work as a guard by the western gate in the mornings, and get released from my duties the moment the sun sets, or- At least that was before Lady Changing Star took control of the Castle.
Since I'm relatively low on the social hierarchy in the Castle, I have not been allowed to indulge in smoking or drinking, and normally get by with a glass of warm water before bed every night.
Today, however, I am no longer in my comfortable room in the Castle or standing absentmindedly at the gates- I'm surrounded by hundreds of other sleepers like myself, preparing for the biggest battle I will ever probably participate in.
Just like the others assembled here, anxiety and fear have nestled deep within my body, and I can no longer stop my hands from trembling.
Drawing in a deep breath, I try to calm myself to no avail.
Soon, though, as I was gathering my bearings, I began to hear murmurs around me.
".... Is that..."
".... It's him!"
"I can't believe it..."
Slowly, I followed the gazes of my comrades and locked onto a figure in the distance.
The man, or woman, had a long mess of wheat blonde hair and stunning lilac eyes, not to mention their features were so terribly perfect I felt my rationality wane.
Rather fortunately, though, my rationale did not waver for long, as the blonde-haired figure began glowing with a subtle mix of Amythest and platinum light, bringing me out of my revelry.
It was truly an awe-inspiring sight- but it seemed like the figure hadn't quite finished their little light show.
Despite the figure being so far away, I could clearly hear them exhale slowly- and before I could even understand what was happening, I heard a cacophony of gasps break out amongst my peers.
Many of the soldiers around me began to point up at the sky, their expressions flickering with utter awe.
Following their gesture, I soon realised the reason for their sudden surprise.
"Oh... wow."
I too couldn't hold back my exclamation as my eyes captured the visage of a cluster of stars lighting up the grey sky- their celestial radiance beaming down on us warmly.
The four brilliant incandescent pearls of light lit up the dull grey tapestry of the forgotten shores sky with hues I hadn't thought possible, and before I knew it, I had become utterly enraptured by the sight, forgetting the fear and anxiety that had plagued me all along.
But my attention was once again captured by the blonde-haired figure as a low voice began to echo in my ears.
"I have seen quite a few battles in my life."
The voice rang with a dignified age, like the tone of a warrior who had experienced all too much.
"Some were on battlefields far grander than this, on a scale so unfathomable that you wouldn't even be able to visualise them.
Others were in places that reeked of the mundane, on a scale so trivially minuscule they would hardly classify as a conflict."
The other soldiers around me grew quiet, all of them too busy basking in the figure's words to focus on anything else.
"And yet, regardless of scale, each of these battles, these conflicts, bore a purpose.
For conquest or for peace-
For glory or for revenge.
There is no such thing as purposeless combat."
A long sword appeared in the hands of the figure, and he pointed the blade at the monument of blood standing tall in the distance.
"This battle is no exception."
The figure turned back to us, his eyes burning a deep shade of amythesst.
"The war we wage today is for survival.
Our prerogative is the faces of our loved ones, the memory of the people we left behind when we were shackled in this forgotten land!"
The figure raised his blade towards the sky, a dense stream of purple light coiling around the blade like a beacon.
"Opposed to our cause are creatures of the profane- the abominable spawn of nightmares and the abyss!
But-
Fear not!"
As soon as those two words left the figure's mouth, all the fear and anxiety plaguing my heart melted away like snow on a hot summer day.
"Those who believe in glory will be blessed by Heaven!
All who believe in the might of the celestial body shall have their enemies burned by the light of the stars!"
As if the words had been an incantation- a beat later, a dense wave of platinum flames engulfed us all, the celestial fire filling us with burning strength rather than pain.
"Our cause is glorious!
Our purpose is just!
Overcome the tide of the profane with courage and strength, and the memories of those we left behind will no longer be comforting fantasies!"
The sun began to rise higher as the dark whirlpool surrounding the Crimson Spire became a little smaller.
As if hearing the challenge of the stars, the monolith of despair responded in kind.
Several bridges of red coral rose from the depths, connecting the island the Spire stood on to the rest of the Forgotten Shore.
Countless horrors began to stir, a wave of utter annihilation shooting out from the terrifying depths of the abyss.
And yet,
Despite the horde encroaching on our position, I, alongside my comrades, did not fret.
After all, the Scion of heaven had given us the power to resist.
The figure standing atop the stone platform roared as he faced the horde, and the Stars seemed to hear his call.
A serene obsidian sea manifested beneath us as an endlessly woven tapestry of everdistant pearls lit up our path.
An entirely different world unfolded around us as the scion of Heaven gripped his sword tighter.
"Under the Glory of Heaven, our purpose will be realised!!!"
And with that.
I, alongside my comrades, charged into battle- our bodies wreathed in the radiant glow of starlight.
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(A/N: Back from my little hiatus.
Sorry, I made you guys wait for so long, but I was lwk burnt out with the whole Shadow Slave plot line.
I ended up writing another fic to pass the time, but I'll be returning some level of focus on this story again.
My schedule will still probably be a bit erratic since Junior Olympics are coming up and my coach wants me to focus on sports for a bit, but I'll try my best to keep things consistent.
Thank you for waiting for so long, and I'll see you soon~)