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"Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die."
-Herbert Hoover-
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He pulled the reins back, stopping his horse in the palace courtyard. Dressed in mostly dark colors but wearing a white shirt that is popped open, exposing part of his chest, and red sunglasses that hide his blue eyes, his name is Jordan Maron, one of the top generals in Etora who he has been gone for the past three months with the explanation from the king that stated that he was on some much needed 'vacation time.'. But the citizens and the soldiers have been worried about the general and his disappearing and yet were put at ease seeing his return.

The general gets off of his horse. A stable boy taking his horse's reins and to the stables, he goes inside the palace, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he went towards the infirmary, but stopped when he saw Prince Zachary, the Prince looked at Jordan, smiling.

"Nice to see you aren't dead, Jordan." The Prince said walking towards Jordan. Jordan smiled a bit at the Prince.

"Nice to see you too, your highness. By the way, was it you leading my cavalry unit into Hazia?" Jordan asked. The Prince shook his head.

"Not this time, Ty did that. Is this just a visit?" The Prince asked. Jordan shakes his head.

"Nope. I got a message from your father about what happened. I need to go, but since I'm back, that means that I'm back in charge of on-ground forces, but thanks for taking care of them for the three months I was gone. I've heard of everything you have been doing and I'm impressed. You would make a great general if you weren't already a Prince." Jordan said before walking past the Prince.

"Haven't you been a General for us for sixteen years, don't you think it is time to retire?" Prince Zachary asked. Jordan turned to him, shaking his head.

"What else could I possibly do with my life after spending most of it in the military? I know you want full command of the on-ground forces, but you are the heir to the throne, you can't be King and a General. So leave the Genera job to me and you focus on being a king when your time comes for the throne. And I do hope I get to that. I need to go, bye your highness." Jordan said walking away. Jordan walked into the infirmary, seeing the King beside a bed in the back. Jordan walked over to them, any soldiers that he pass saluted at him.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry I am late," Jordan said. The King smiled, turning around.

"Don't be, what only matters is that you are here." The King said. Jordan went beside the King, looking at Sky, and then at the king.

"So this is him," Jordan said. The King nodded, looking at Jordan, meeting his eyes.

"You know what your job is then?" He asked. Jordan nodded, his eyes glancing back at the unconscious man in the bed.

"Protect him, I know," Jordan said.

"Let's talk in private, General." The King said turning away, Jordan followed him out. They talked as they walked down the halls of the palace, almost in hushed tones at times. "And don't call him by his real name, call him Sky for now. That's what Ian said his name is. And I'm sorry to interrupt your temporary leave, but you, Derick, and Miss Linda are the only ones who are knowledgeable of this that I can trust right now. I would say Azdel but it is important to involve him as little as possible with the investigation." Jordan nods.

"I know." He said. The King looked at Jordan.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" The King asked. Jordan shook his head, sighing.

"I mean....I have some leads, but it is like he vanished altogether. Some things make sense and some don't. But my leads would have taken me to Shivoa." Jordan said. The King nodded, looking ahead.

"Ahh...King Mitchell, I wouldn't be surprised if he knew something. People looking for a second chance tend to find themselves in Shivoa. But onto the Hazia attack. Shia and Hazia were both burned to the ground by Skaldia troops. Their motivation for this is still unknown." The King said. They both go into the King's office, they both sat down, Jordan leaned back in his chair, thinking.

"Prince Anthony show up during the attack?" Jordan asked. The King shook his head.

"No identification of him being among the attackers. But this is a direct violation of the treaty, Prince Anthony is coming here today to discuss this attack." King Nathan said. Jordan looked at him.

"King Izic isn't?" He asked. The King shook his head.

"No, but the Prince of Skaldia is just as unreasonable and hotheaded as their King. So I'm gonna need you to be with me, Derick will be with Sky, protecting him if anything happens. Which I bet something will. " The King said. Jordan leaned forward, touching the desk.

"Then let Prince Zachary deal with this, look I know he can be a slacker and stuff like that, but when stuff needs to be done, he gets it done, plus he is a great leader from what I have been hearing for the past three months. And I rather not put you in danger when you, no offense your highness, you don't put up much of a fight unlike fifteen years ago." Jordan said.

"Thanks for your concern, General, but that's why I have you protecting me. If anything does happen, you are to abandon me and take Sky to Shivoa. King Mitchell already knows this, he will know what is going on once the message gets to him which should be two days. Are we clear, General?" The King asked. Jordan stared at him for a few moments and looked away.

"Alright. But nothing better happen." Jordan said leaning back. The King smiled a bit.

"When has something bad ever happen?" The King asked. Jordan looked at the king.

"Oh well, let's see. Many things, so many that it is hard to list but the most recent would be the Decade War." Jordan said. The king nodded agreeing.

"Estron is ready for a new King, and when Zach is King, I trust you will be by his side like you have been by mine for the past sixteen years." The King said. Jordan nodded.

"Yeah, of course, just like how Lin is protecting Prince Ty." Jordan said. The King raised an eyebrow at him.

"Lin? I've never heard you say that when referring to Miss Adams before" He said. Jordan's cheeks heated up, looking at the King, his eyes slightly widen.

"No! No! We're just friends! Stop looking at me like that! She sometimes calls me Jardon or Sparklez, so I get to call her Lin, you know..for short." Jordan explained panicky. Jordan could tell the King still didn't believe him. "We're friends, we've been friends for years. That would just be awkward and I don't want to ruin our friendship like that. So stop looking at me like you know something when you don't!" The King chuckled, leaning back.

"I know, Jardon, I just like teasing you." He said. The King loses his smile. "How's your leg?" Jordan loses his smile as well, he looks away for a few seconds, pausing before answering.

"It's fine." He said.

"Don't give me that lie, tell me the truth. I want to know the condition of my major General." The King demanded, Jordan still didn't look at him.

"It hurts, but it isn't like the stabbing pain it was three months ago, now it is just constantly sore. It has improved over the last three months. My leg alone was probably why you granted me a temporary absence, wasn't it?" Jordan asked. The King nodded.

"Yes, it was and if it is becoming too much, you tell me and I'll get Zach to take over while you retire--" Jordan looked at the King.

"I don't need to retire, why it everyone say that? I'm only 35, what else could I possibly do with my life other than being a General? Everyone expects for me to be in the military to uphold the 'Maron family honor' that seems to exist. My leg is fine, stop being concerned about me, you have other things to worry about them me." Jordan said. The King was about to argue back when the door opened.

"Your Highness, the Skaldians are here," Derick said walking in. Jordan looked at him, his eyes connecting with Jordan's. He smiled. "Oh, you got back just in time, General." Jordan stood. The King walked past them. He looked at Derick.

"Derick." The King said. Derick nodded.

"I'm going, be careful, your highness," Derick said before going to the infirmary. Jordan rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as they entered the throne room seeing the Skaldians there, waiting. His eyes landing on the Skaldian Prince, Anthony Skylen. A royal Prince that is tall and usually has dark colored clothing, his eyes a brown color as well as his hair, he has a quiver strapped to his back as well as a bow and a sword at his side. The King sat on his throne, Jordan stood beside him.

"General Jordan Maron, I didn't think you would be here." Prince Anthony said. Jordan's eyes look at the Skaldian soldiers, he noticed the blood on their weapons giving him a bad feeling. As they talked, Jordan's eyes were kept on the Prince's guards, while the Skaldian Prince is skilled in combat like every Skylen is, his guards felt more of a threat with how their hands were on their weapons as well. King Nathan touched Jordan's arm, calming him.

"Let's everyone calm down, I can feel the tenseness in this room." He said. Jordan looked at the King. "Calm down, Jordan. Everything's fine." The King let go of Jordan's arm, Jordan crossed his arms. Prince Anthony agreed.

"Yeah, no one is gonna get hurt, or at least maybe not everyone." The Prince said. The Prince faced the King. "Truth is that the soldiers that attacked your villages were not authorized too. They went rogue and did their own thing. We are deeply sorry for what happened." Jordan's eyes narrow at the Prince. 'Yeah...I don't believe him.' Jordan thought.

"You need to work on your poker face," Jordan said. The Prince looked at Jordan.

"Well you are a military General, what would you do if a patch of your soldiers went against you and raided a village?" The Prince asked him. Jordan put his hand back on the hilt of his sword, the Skaldia guards noticing and doing the same. Jordan's eyes looked at them.

"That's a court-martial, and if they are an officer, they'll be demoted or removed from the military entirely," Jordan said. Jordan looked back at the Prince. "For cadets, you don't give them a slap on the wrist, no, if they did that, they'll be removed from the military. I don't tolerate that type of behavior, no exceptions." The Prince nodded a bit, thinking, he smiled.

"I wonder if you would treat General Probst like that due to his abandonment." Prince Anthony said making Jordan grit his teeth.

"Jordan, don't." The King said, not having to look at Jordan to know that anger him. The King stood up, looking at the Prince. "This is not about General Probst or Jordan. This is about the fact your soldiers raided two of my villages. They may be hidden behind the mountains, but they are still a part of Estron. If this was Skaldia's attempt to reclaim Shia village, they failed, and attacking Hazia had no reason. You have no reason for any of this." The Prince looked at him.

"And I told you what happened--"

"And I can tell you are lying to me, Prince, and I don't need Jordan to tell me that. Something you must learn when you are King, Prince, is how to read people. So what did King Izic hope to gain from attacking my villages? What are you up to?" The King asked. The Prince bit his bottom lip, Jordan saw an archer behind the Prince with an arrow notched. The Prince moved out of the way, Jordan was quick to move in front of the King, drawing his sword and stopping the arrow with it.

"That's not gonna happen, Prince Anthony." Jordan snapped. The Prince frowned, thinking. Estron guards went beside Jordan, the King sitting down, Jordan still stood in front of him, Estron guards pointed weapons at the Prince, the Prince's guards aiming that them. The Prince crosses his arms.

"Of course you are gonna be a problem." The Prince said. His eyes look at Jordan. "To be honest, I was hoping to not run into you, General Jordan. But in case I did, I was prepared." The Prince took a bag off one of his soldiers, pulling out a pair of bloodied green and black headphones, the King stood up instantly once he saw them.

"Ty!" The King said.

"You bastard." Jordan snapped, the Prince smiled.

"Oh, the rest of him is in Hazia somewhere, guarded, yeah... a bloody good fight he put up, but his injuries were too severe in order for the fight to be long," Anthony said. Jordan's eyes look at a guard, they meet his eyes, nodding, Jordan looks back at the Prince as the guard slips out of the room unnoticed. The headphones slipped from his hand and hit the ground, breaking. The King flinched, anger rising within him.

"Izic's resorted to kidnapping--"

"Princess Samantha is out of reach, Prince Ty is just leverage to keep King Mitchell from aiding Estron...and Master Azdel as well since he seems to be your best friend now." Prince Anthony said. The King smiled a bit.

"Master Seto involved himself on his own will, I did not force him." King Nathan said. The Prince nodded.

"Yeah, too bad aiding humans during a war is against mage law." The Prince said. The Prince looked at the King. "Of course, we are willing to do a trade."

"What do you want?" The King asked. The Prince looks at Jordan, the King looking at him and back at the Prince. "No." The Prince looks back at the King. "Why do you want Jordan?"

"If you want your son back, give us your General." The Prince said. Jordan looked over his shoulder, at the King. He looked back at Anthony.

"Fine—"

"Jordan." The King said. Jordan looked at the King.

"What.....No, you—"

"Go to Sky, take him to Shiova now." The King whispered to him. Jordan's sword lowered a bit.

"But—"

"That's an order, General." The King snapped. Jordan hesitated, he stepped back, he looks at the guards.

"Protect him." He said. They nod. Jordan sheaths his sword leaving the room. Nothing was said till Jordan left the room. The King looked back at Anthony.

"You aren't having my General—"

"You must not want your son back." Prince Anthony said. King Nathan's fists clenched.

"Why do you want General Maron so badly?" The King asked. Prince Anthony chuckled lightly.

"Oh come on, even you know the answer to that. Anyone who has General Maron on their side has a greater chance of victory, everyone knows this. You and King Mitchell might not want to admit, but another war is coming. The peaceful three months we had were a waste, we know war is always gonna be present in Etora." The Prince said. The King shakes his head.

"War is a waste of time and a waste of life--"

"And yet we just got out of a war that lasted a decade." The Prince said. The Prince crossed his arms. "War is coming, and you can either be prepared for it or fall into ruin. And King Izic wants General Maron, and if he can't have him....then..no one can." The King smiled a bit.

"Jordan is not easy to kill. He has been a war general for sixteen years so far, there have been plenty of attempts to assassinate him and they all fail. Jordan's only loyal to Estron only. He wouldn't trust Skaldia if his life depended on it." The King said. The Prince smiled slightly.

"I know that task will not be easy, but your general is a bigger problem then Shivoa right now--"

"Are you sure about that? Jordan is just one man, Shivoa is an entire kingdom that Skaldia is afraid of. How is Jordan a bigger problem?" The King asked.

"You greatly underestimate his importance and skill." The Prince said. The king shakes his head.

"No, I know perfectly well of his role in my kingdom, but I also know that he didn't come out of the Decade War with grade A health like Shivoa's General did." The king said making the Prince scoff.

"Don't get me started on General Wolfe, he's another issue altogether. So if you want your son back, you better give us Major General Jordan Maron."

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Linda stared out of the gate, wondering where their captain was. 'Haiza isn't that far away. Where is he?' Linda thought, her eyes glanced over to Ian who was leaning against the wall gate, waiting as well. Ian looked towards the palace, seeing a cloaked figure steering a covered wagon coming down to them, they stop a few feet away.

"Lin." They said. Linda picks her head up, looking over the person, once she saw their face, she gets up, going over to him. Ian following her.

"Jordan, what are you--why are you dressed like that? What happened at the palace?" She asked. Any symbol of Estron was stripped off of the general, a black cloak wrapped around him with the hood up, his sword hidden underneath the fabric. Ian sees Vega come out of the back of the wagon, holding a box as Jordan was explaining things to Linda. Ian took the box, Ian looking at it closer seeing it as a first aid kit. He looked at Vega.

"What is this? Where is Sky?" Ian asked. Jordan grabs Ian's arm when he tried to go at the wagon.

"No, you can't--" Ian snapped his attention to the general.

"I'm not one of your damn soldiers. You can't tell me what to do." Ian snapped. Jordan looked at Ian, shocked a bit but then smiles.

"Been a while since someone was brave enough to talk to me like that," Jordan said. Linda looks at Ian.

"Ian, that was disrespectful," Linda said.

"I don't care, what is in the wagon, what is going--"

"Prince Ty was attacked by the Skaldians, he's reported to be seriously injured, we are going to rescue him. Use three and the rest of the crew, and we are leaving now." Jordan said. Jordan looked at Linda as he let go of Ian. "Where's the crew?" Linda pointed at the pub down the street, Jordan looks over his shoulder at it and sighed irritated. "Of course they are. Stay here, Ian." Jordan hands the reins to Ian, Linda and he goes inside the pub. Jordan lowered his hood, people he walked past looked at him in awe. Jordan saw a waitress setting mugs on the table at the crew's table, he stepped over Mac, who still remained asleep on the ground. He looked at the waitress who had two full mugs on her tray.

"Can I?" He asked. She looked at him, her face turning red and nodding.

"Y-Yes, of course, G-General." She said blushing, Jordan smiling at her and he took one, Linda rolled her eyes at him. 'He can flirt and flatter women and yet can't take a hint from one.' She thought as the woman stared at him as he turned to the crew. Linda looked at Jordan, noticing his slight limp as he walked making her eyes soften. 'What the...' Linda thought.

"So this is a site to see, the royal crew of Prince Tyler getting drunk on the job." Jordan started, the crew looked at him in horror.

"W-What are you--"

"General Maron!"

Jordan looked at each one of them. "I'm angry, you wanna know why?" He asked. the crew hesitates to answer.

"W-Why, General, sir?" One asked nervously. Jordan held the mug over Mac's head and pours the mug over, hitting his face, waking Mac up, Jordan not taking his eyes the crew. A loud explosion went off outside making the pub go silent and everyone looking towards the door or panic. Some of the crew stood up.

"I'll tell you why...Prince Tyler has been attacked and seriously injured, captured by Skaldian soldiers at Haiza and you all are getting drunk to no ends while he needs you. Now, I'm accompanying you until further notice--"

"Linda! Why is he--"

"Do not interrupt me!" Jordan snapped at the crew-member making him sit down once Jordan snapped. Jordan looked at them all. Most of the pub now empty due to the explosion outside. Jordan dropped the mug, it hit the floor beside Mac. Jordan looked down at Mac. "Get up." MAc gets up quickly, almost falling, saluting at Jordan.

"Where are we going, General, sir?" Mac asked.

"Hazia, Avalon, and then to Shivoa," Jordan said before looking back at the crew. "Now, I'm giving this option once and only once. This kingdom is about to be taken over by Skaldian forces, so if you have families or anyone you want to be with rather then be here, you may walk away now and I'll act like you never were here in the first place." The men hesitated for a second, before one then walked out, accompanied by four more, leaving seven men that stood around the table in front of Jordan. Jordan smiled a bit, standing straighter, he winced a bit, hiding it from them. "Thank you, now saddle up, we leave immediately." They all salute to Jordan.

"Yes, sir!" They said before leaving. Jordan looked at Linda.

"Let's go." He said. Jordan looked at the waitress. "We'll pay later--" She shook her head.

"No, don't worry about it General, it is on the house." She said. Jordan smiled at her.

"You're the best." He said making her move closer to him. Linda's hand clenched in a fist and she then grabs Jordan's arm.

"Come on!" Linda snapped at him as she yanked him out the door.