The clash of war rang out the metallic tang of blood stuck to the air, the smoke of gunpowder and sulfur lingered on the colossal wreckage of what was once a valley of bluebells

The rolling hills were once beautiful a cold river flowing in the center of it, and the whole scene being filled with the silentness of peace to tie everything together, like a bow on the top, it was perfectly tranquil and so very peaceful

However, that was a few hours ago.

This story takes place a few hours after.

The two hills had been explored then the remains fell and crushed anyone in there path, enemies and allies were eviscerated by it, no one survived it.

The river stained with blood and the floral destroyed by the meaningless violence.

A young man was sitting by a makeshift wall of cobblestone it was used to stop any arrows that the other side had shot—it was ineffective and blood pooled around him the half broken arrow on the ground and the other half still causing him unfathomable pain in his shoulder.

He felt cold and feverish and scared and alone.

His name was Leon Madison, or as everyone had called him during the last two years five months sixteen days three hours and fourteen minutes. Lieutendant Madison.

He was waiting to hear the cheers and bellows from the other side of the wall, he never heard them. His whole army was gone and dead, washed away or crushed it made no never mind the way they went out because they had lost.

He tried to yell, even if a foe heard him he could have a swift end at the merciles tip of a blade then the slow draining of his life blood but no noise escaped his lips.

He was dying, and he knew it

Then he heard something—someone, climb over the wall, it wasn't all that big or tall it was around a foot or two of height nothing anyone should have struggled as much as he was hearing this one have.

A man fell beside him, bloody and next to death's door right beside him, was the Commander of the enemy kingdom.

Commander Thatcher was the only name anyone knew him by—Madison had tried and failed to discover his real one—went through the pains of having to torture people to no leads at all.

Thatcher flashed a grin stained with blood through he didn't seem to care all that much.

"Hello."

He said calmly nonchalant over the event that brought the two together.

"Hello." Madison replied blood dripping from his lips through he did not have the strength to cover it up. Turning his head to the Commander, he seemed worn like a thread being stretched too thin—this was the price for war, he thought knowing he didn't look much better.

"Well," Madison signed then said with the most amount of relief he ever had in his life.

"You bested me, you won."

Thatcher looked at him, bleeding, covered in worn armor a quiver that was empty and a sheath though with no sword and said.

"I gave a lot for this war."

Thatcher smiled bitterly at him. This was the first time either of the two man had seen each other—really seen each other, not through stories or tapestries or wanted posters but face-to-face and Madison was confused for a moment realizing he was human, just like him.

"Even though yer' and me are—enemies, we're the only two in the world that know what it took to get this far." Thatcher laughed Madison didn't realize until his lungs started to ache from the laughter as well, he shut his mouth and a groan came out, drawn and painful. He leaned his head back on the cold stone wall.

A silent breeze rang out on the battlefield, a piercing screaming silence.

"This is tragic." Madison drawls tiredly descending into laughter then dry coughing.

The moment stilled, it was three simple words four very quick syllables yet they lingered on it, the two knew, it was tragic. Two years of their life, hundreds of thousands of lives lost. Thatcher didn't want to think about it, he always shunned those thoughts he wasn't about to stop now.

"I saw a document of how much you've been doing, do yer' ever sleep?" Thatcher was joking but pure curiosity leaked through his voice.

"I got, I think—five hours." Madison smiled at the ridiculous comprehension of how little he's been sleeping, and eating.

"I've gotten three, but I was reading it and thinking it must be skewed or something happend—"

Madison cut him off "—Wait, why do you have a spreadsheet for my sleep schedule?"

"You don't got one for me?" Thatcher said with fake hurt.

"My people were making one—but I just don't understand how you won, I mean, you crushed half of your army and still won."

"I didn't win " Thatcher said facing him, was his noise broken?

"All my allies are gone and dead," He shrugged when Madison faced him slightly horror struck. The realization dawning on him, the horror filled his face as he realized—everyone was gone, not just his friends or allies—but everyone

"But then that just leaves—"

Thatcher nods before he finishes.

"You 'n me"

Another silent cloud drifted in between the two men, both ears piercing praying, begging, wishing, for one person to scream either of their names, to show who's better.

To show who won.

But the silent stretch tartar and tartar the pain Madison felt in his shoulder was quickly dampered and snuffed out by the realization that if the spices were right.

"Over one million people are—"

"Gone, gone 'n dead."

Thatcher finishes, titling his head to the side to look at him. Madison looked down from his gaze, he was bleeding out and could so easily die from as much as a swift punch to the gut.

"So, how did you come up with that anyways?"

Madison asked genuinely interested in the mechanisms

"A cook never shows his recipe a wizard never shows his secret and a captain reveals his plans."

Thatcher and Madison grin bloody teeth at one another anticipating growing to see if one breaks the ice first.

"I'll show you later."

Madison smiled, for someone who was waiting to see the grim reaper he hadn't felt this good in, a long time.

"But honestly I had like two thousand more people then you, and you beat me still."

They both laughed not like friends or even acquaintances or enemies but equals.

Both knowing the same messed up story their in.

"Did ya' ever notice the stuff I stole?"

"You stole from me?"

Madison asks flabbergasted by the audacity, then remembering he did the same thing.

"Well a few people betrayed ya."

"People betrayed me?"

The two descended back into laughter coughing by the end, Madison holding his shoulder as Thatched held his gut.

"Who played turncoat?" Madison cooed "I have to know, come on."

Thatcher merely shrugged at the question Madison then says "If I say who betrayed you, you tell me who betrayed me, deal?"

"People betrayed me?"

The two laughed at the amount of traitors that they surrounded themselves by. It seemed so odd to be talking about people who are gone, never speak il of the dead was past them as Madison begins to count on one hand ticking each one of with a finger, Thatcher wordlessly nodding then blurting out after.

"Lieutenant Michael—"

"I knew it was that bastard too! Yours was Mike Finn, and—"

Thatcher proceeds to name far more people then Madison had expected, a few hit hard and close to home. Madison quietly listens as Thatcher not even bothering to use any sort of way to count just saying their full names then moving right on to the next one. By the end Madison was flooded, a small ping everytime he heard a new familiar name.

"That's the lot of them, I believe."

"Huh."

Madison thought, after all this time, he knew Thatcher was the enemy. Though he forgot why after the first year, not wanting to waste time remembering, it didn't matter anyway there was always some new atrocity happening around them, it was hard to keep track of them all.

"I still can't believe it's over,"

Madison sighs with relief, his shoulders sagging by the effort the pain bubbling back out as he let out a groan, closing his eyes as the world begins to swim.

"I thought it would take another year or two, but it ends today."

Madison smiles at his own comment, he's so tired, and so thankful it's over after forgetting what peace feels like—finally, finally getting to see the light at the end of the tunnel the sun after a rain storm, the grass growing over the fire,

The flowers over the grave.

"Yer' probably the person I know about the most, you kept me goin'."

Thatcher said quietly, softly like a secret he wasn't sure he wanted to share.

"I kept you going? You do know how ridiculous that sounds, right?"

"If it makes you more humble, a quarter of my life has now been wasted."

Thatcher quipped, seemingly oblivious to the people around them who's lives barely begun and has already seen the end. Though Madison didn't notice either.

"I'm just surprise, no one else helped us,"

"Or stopped us,"

They both agreed that this was each of their own fault's it was their own actions and ideas that got them here. However the thought of the higher-ups stringing some information either along or away, was a mutual thought, neither brought up the fact. Instead Madison lets out a drawn out sigh, his eyes temporarily closing and hissing as his body stings from the movement.

"You are the only person that understands."

Madison said softly under his breath as the world began to spin, his mind drifting on, like the smoke around the two had permeate his skull making his thoughts loose inside his head.

"No one understands how much went into this."

"How much we both sacrifice for each other." Thatcher agrees, Madison opened his eyes wide with confusion. "For each other?" Madison laughs at the odd wording.

The two sit in silence as they catch their breath, both panting as blood runs from their heart and veins. Madison looking back at one moment over the past year and asks.

"Were you surprised?"

"With?"

"WestWood bridge, when I got it back."

That made him paused before answering and Madison wondered if he asked the wrong question then saw an odd smile on Thatcher's face. "Do I have blood on my face?" Madison asks not at all caring if he did (he most certainly did)

"I was expecting it, it was a choke point for both of us, and I was sort of uh. . ."

"You let me get it, didn't you?" Madison felt blood trickle down his face and breathed slowly through his nose.

Thatcher shrugged and smiled Madison said only slightly joking "My disappointment is immeasurable." he sighed then muttered. "I knew there was a secret trade."

"Not really a secret if it's in a book."

Madison sputtered then gave up throwing his hands in the air in frustration winching from the pain.

"I'm just waiting to wake up, I still can't believe it. It wasn't meant to end this way."

"That, we agree on."

"What? You winning?" Madison and Thatcher laughed looking around the destroyed flowers field. They both had a perfect view of the river—now drenched and tained with blood.

"Two years." Madison mused, then marveled at the thought. "Two years wasted." Thatcher corrected, the wonder drained from Madison by the idea—the reality, that two years of both of their lives were wasted. "Two years, we're never getting back."

Thatcher shrugged at the notion bitterly smiling at the sky, the remnants of the explosion leaving a bruise on the sky, a stain of purple and orange blur. "I was so mad when they helped you."

Thatcher continued. "How many hours—days of my life are gone because they helped you? Hundreds? Thousands?"

The sharp edge was there, a little snap and Madison was reminded by who he was talking with. A bloodthirsty mercenary hired for assassinations, whos only love is coin.

Thatcher looked at Madison, smiling though bloody teeth and an even bloodier nose, an amused expression spreading across his broken features.

"What's so funny?" Madison said rolling his eyes as Thatcher suffocated a laugh and failed.

"Just remembering a plan that we didn't do." Madison was intrigued to say the least.

"Can you say anything about it?"

Thatcher shrugged. "a little," His mouth curved into that seemingly now so familiar smile.

"Thought of something a little while ago, then realized it was a war crime."

Madison sighed dramatically. "Only you could do that, only you."

Thatcher shrugged again. "You barely know me." He threw back. It was true only stories, writings and paintings were all Madison could ever find—he left an invisible trail, whatever he went, but he could find lots of unreliable sources.

"Did you see what they wrote about us?" Madison said smiling stupidly.

"Some," Thatcher thought then added. "Humor me."

"Well, we were working three times as much as they were saying we were." Still bitter over the paper, the inked words almost seemed to have a personal vendetta against him.

"Everythin' was being monitored." Thatcher agreed, "Neither of us could do anythin' without looking over our shoulder." Madison hummed an acknowledgment. It was true, he was like a very thin piece of twine, over time slowly unraveling as the walls came crashing down on him.

"I was lookin' at the graphs, right? Half the stuff they said was either the biggest number I had ever seen in my life, or like twenty thousand. I don't know if that was a mistake or just propaganda."

"They said we'd collapse from exhaustion." Madison said eventually shutting his eyes as a dull throbbing takes over his skull. He rests his head trying to focus on his heart beat—It was uncomfortably quite.

"There was this, constant pressure. You felt it too right?" Madison asked lightly, but just under that was the way he hated his voice go slightly higher showing the hope he has with the answer.

"All the time." Madison took a breath out he didn't even know he was holding. "It was this constant weight of 'If I'm not doing this then I'm going to lose'. " A small gap of silence crept in, letting the two men breath in the smoke they created for themselves.

"I mean, let's be honest with ourselves," Thatcher said lightly.

"The first month was torture but after a while, it became like breathing, it's happening but ya' barely noticed it."

"Why don't you have anything better to do with your time?" Madison blurred out loudly, almost whining like a child. The two men laught at the insult—it was a real question. Of all the ways to spend time money and sanity. Why this way?

"It was just a cycle, there was no escaping, it until now." Madison commented as their laughter dies down into hiccups and giggles.

"I'm in shambles I'm destroyed." It was true, he felt like an entire building has been put upon his shoulders the weight digging into his back—then his legs gave out and gave him a punishment worse than death.

"This makes me il." Another truth.

"If it makes ya' feel any better, If you keep goin' I have to as well." Thatcher quipped seemingly happy with the thought of continuing this torturous existence.

"I'll keep goin'. " Thatcher laughted. "That is the difference between you and me" He seemed foolish exhausted and stubborn. A bull-headed sort of determination—that would most certainly get him killed.

"I'll just wait until you die then." Madison said giddy and slightly light-headed with the amount of blood he was losing.

"I'll die a loser in first place" Madison vowed putting his middle and pointer to his lips and kissing the air as he put his hand up. Promising to the land.

He grimace as he slowly put his hand down, and groaned from the pain shutting his eyes as Thatcher chackles with something that could only be described as amusement.

"There was no chance from the beginning, was there?" Madison sighs it turning into a cough.

"Once the war was against me yer' lost."

It was meant to be a joke and landed as one, but Thatcher was right. If Madison had known—had known who this man was that stood before him. He would never had left, would never have picked up his sword, would never had yelled at his brother.

"Have anyone waiting for you at home?" The thought of his brother made his eyes sting he tried to wipe them away, smearing blood on his cheek. Blood was better then tears.

"Don't got one." Thatcher shrugged nonchalant. "You?"

"My younger brother, Tommy," Madison whispered, then drew a long sigh closing his eyes again. "I had to sacrifice so much." His head became cotton and every thought came out of his mouth before he could stop it. "So this is how it ends." He muttered bitterly and relieved.

"If ya' want it to be."

"As long as you don't blow anything else up, please." Madison smiling then groaned from the pain, bitting his tongue until it bled.

"It was mutually shared destruction," Thatcher said simply gesturing out to their surroundings. "It was a two person war."

"And you still won."

"No."

Thatcher disagreed softly, "I didn't, but in the history books I sure as hell did."

How did he do that? That quick to dismiss bloodshed, the nonchalant attitude towards the death surrounding them on all sides.

"I should have send spices earlier, I should have known."

Madison muttered bitterly annoyed at himself for the loss of hundreds of thousands of good men. He should had known better—been better.

"Why didn't yer' just bribe em?" Thatcher asked, Madison had tried, so many times but it wasn't that they wouldn't take it.

"I could never find them to begin with." Madison said with real frustration, then letting the anger go by remember they were all dead.

"You see, I did this—"

Thatcher proceeded to describe torture, plain and simple—not actual torture—though Madison wouldn't put it past him yet, but the way he treated his armys as if they were replaceable. Pushing their limits constantly and increasingly more difficult tasked added, that to Madison's somewhat awe they volunteered for and completed it. It was a shame they all died, they would have been useful after the war.

"I just don't know anyone who would do that for me." Madison admits freely. It sounded horrible and bossy and mean, Madison would be hated if he did something like that—no one would agree to go along with it. He had no one with such loyalty to him.

Thatcher shrugged, his head bobbing slightly—he must be light-headed like Madison. The two both knew it, as much as Thatcher said 'I'll tell you later,' or Madison's 'My brother's waiting' Some part of them both knew they were dying, some part knew they would be forgotten sooner then expected. They knew they were not getting out of this trench alive.

They both had accepted it a long time ago.

They both had died around two years ago anyway.

"I can't believe it ends today." Madison mused softly, the world spinning more then before and he closed his eyes an ugly cough bubbled out disintegrating into a laugh. "Don't leave yet captain, one of ours is bound to show up." Thatcher said surprisingly hopeful and relaxed, he had full trust in his team.

"Can't leave just yet, not here, not now." Thatcher added, more serious then he thought was possible for the same man who was making jokes and insulting the dead less then a minute before.

"I hope I earned your respect." Madison said the words falling inbetween them like a dead weight.

"You did, I hope I did too?" Thatcher asked, Madison nodded to him being too tired to talk. Too close to death.

Thatcher sighed, muttering as Madison closes his eyes and wait for the searing pain to stop, his heartbeat was in his ears unusually loud and unusually fast.

"With the war finally over." Thatcher shrugged, leaning forward as if trying to grip something just out of reach.

"I'm free." He laughted.

The two stayed silent, waiting for the life to drain from them. Madison losing all hope he didn't know he had left to lose.

Until—

A piercing set of calls came, human and worried. They called for their captain, called for their leader. A smile stretch over Madison's face, he was going home.

Home, a dream that almost seemed too far away to reach for previously.

Madison opened his eyes to Thatcher leaning on the stone wall, wavering both arms to get their attention. A smile wave of relief and pride took over both men.

They were both free.

Finally after two years five months sixteen days three hours and fourty-five minutes.

They were both free.

The curtains fell on two men of war, illuminated by the fire of destruction. They smiled at the audience.

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Art by (I actually have no idea. please help)
Dialogue was taken by Hypixel Potato War (very cool series recommend it)
Two stories in two days!? what is this a normal amount of content!? nah probably not, this was one big excuse for me to practice with dialogue, there will be two others with a different exercise on each of them, the next one will be about accents :D
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