For several years now, a bloody war has been going on between Meinard and the group of allied states of Arkon and Vauton. These three great countries were an oasis of civilization in the ocean of lifeless lands in the South and wild peoples inhabiting the Northern territories. Arkon and Vauton, once bitter rivals, rallied in the face of a common threat of extermination.
The "Marna" corps of the army of His Majesty King Virgil under the command of the famous General Swan, pushed back the army of Meinard, coming closer and closer to his capital. But the decisive battle was yet to come.
Athanasius Mirra – Arkon's warrior is on the front lines. He has nothing to prove in this war. He only does what he does best.
The sun had not yet appeared over the horizon, and Tan was already tying the laces on his boots. As often happened, he had a difficult night. Blame the nightmares that have followed him for a long time. These scary and brutal nocturnal references came from his childhood. In most cases, these were some small segments that were difficult to see in the fog. They were like a fuzzy reflection on the water surface. But sometimes, the dreams were vivid, as if it was happening now at the moment. The last thing he remembered before he opened his eyes was how his mother was screaming his name Athanasius !!! Athanasius !!! Run quickly, my boy …
He raised his head, took in the air heavily with his lungs, and exhaled just as hard. More than thirty years have passed since the moment when his village was attacked. But to this day, the past did not let him go and did not give him peace. He missed her! On her soft hands and tender lips that kissed his disheveled head. His eyes were suddenly saturated with moisture. But Tan drove those thoughts out of his head. The time in which he lives does not forgive weakness. He could show such vulnerability only in moments when he was alone, but leaving his command tent, he became Athanasius Mirra – the commander of the vanguard of the army of His Majesty King Virgil! It should be noted that by the age of thirty-seven, Athanasius had already become known as a great warrior. He visited five major battles, which won the king Virgil control over the vast territory that once belonged to people who call themselves Meinardians. Tan paid tribute to the ability of Meinard's warriors to take a blow. They were ferocious people. They were physically very strong and powerful, in part, it was because of this that Tan was constantly exercising! He could not afford to concede in anything to anyone. Unlike the people of Meinard, the Arconians, which Athanasius was, were not as physically developed, but they had impressive growth, on average about two meters in height. They had blonde hair and good vision in the dark, which was passed down from their ancestors who lived most of their lives in caves. Although, with a sharp change in lighting, it took some time for the eyes to adjust. And also differed in skin color. The people of the Arkon race had white skin, while the Meinardians had dark skin, the color of red clay. And it is not surprising, given how hellishly their sun was burning at its zenith. Looking through the window opening, Tan did not find a single cloud in the sky, which meant that another hot day awaited him, although the summer was already over. He swore to himself. But still forced myself to get up. While the sun has not yet appeared, he will have time to perform the ritual that accompanied him on all campaigns. Namely, jogging, with a distance of about 7-10 kilometers, and after compulsory physical exercises with their own weight.
Throwing open the door, Tan went out into the street. I breathed in the air. -Very dry, he thought. How Athanasius yearned for the rain. Approaching a barrel of water, which stood next to the entrance to the tent, he scooped water into a jug standing there and poured all its contents onto his head. Suddenly, as if waking up from a dream, Tan heard sounds coming from the direction of the forest: singing of birds, rustling of branches. An unknown insect chirped in the grass nearby. And all these sounds reminded him so much of home. Smiling slightly, Tan went to perform his morning ritual.