text: Year 23
  
  With another town taken, you put your sword through the chest of a Felkan soldier begging for his life, one of many from your experience. The average Felkan soldier to you does not seem to match up to Empire ones in any capacity. They are certainly not better in the ways of martial combat or endurance. The only real advantage you can see them having is their gunpowder weaponry and better proficiency with it and even that isn't much of an advantage anymore given that the Emperor's derro friend has been evening up the odds in that way.
  
  You walk around surveying the carnage of burning buildings and Empire soldiers busily searching homes to make sure there aren't any more of the enemy hiding out. A small explosion grabs your attention and you see a single Empire soldier stagger out of a home with one of his arms blown off. He stumbles for a bit and then collapses before others rush to his aid.
  
  Traps have probably done more damage to the battalion you were assigned to rather than actual combat. This was an easy battle. In fact your whole time being assigned to Major Krozer's battalion has been a bit of a breeze for you. The southwestern front of the Felkan Kingdom isn't as heavily defended or at least from your experience it isn't defended well. Perhaps all of the better Felkan soldiers are on the other fronts.
  
  You sort of wish the Emperor had seen fit to have you aid Captain Roldan whose battalion has been seeing a lot of major fighting. However, the Emperor firmly stated that your skills would be of better use here and so you shall carry out your duty. Your main goal is to keep the Felkans from attempting to pull any sort of major flanking maneuver and keeping them boxed in. While conquest isn't the main goal, it is a secondary objective to make a slow push northward towards the Felkan heartland though you imagine you'll soon face Felkan reinforcements from the west before then. That is if they don't still have their hands full with the gnoll tribes that are currently assaulting them their eastern front.
  
  "Another victory for the Empire, eh Mr. Sunshine?" you hear a voice from behind say. It's Major Krozer. She's a competent leader and has obviously earned her position, but much like your experience with Gruz, she seems a little "relaxed" on rules of protocol at times such as her periodic insistence on being too playful with you.
  
  "I've told you before to stop calling me by that ridiculous name." you snap.
  "Hey, I didn't invent it. That's what the troops call you behind your back due to your...unique personality."
  
  You begin to get angry.
  
  "Are you telling me I don't have the respect of the troops and they use this name to mock me?!"
  "No! They're scared shitless of you, hence why they don't call it to your face. The sunshine reference is due to the fact that you're so damn grim and merciless all the time. Its supposed to be ironic I guess. If you'd like, I could tell them to start calling you Mr. Harbinger of Destruction instead. Pretty sure the Felkans already call you that." Major Krozer replies.
  "I'm not interested in having any sort of witty nickname and if anyone continues to refer to me other than by my name or my rank, I'll have them flogged for their impertinence and that's just for the first offence."
  "Hm, well I guess I better relay that to the troops. Fun and humor are cancelled until further notice."
  "Fun? We're at war major! This is not a time to be having fun! It is not a time for jokes! It is a time to be crushing our enemies and ensuring their extinction!"
  
  "And you're claiming that YOU don't find those two bloody past times fun for you? Let's talk seriously for a moment, I've seen you in battle and you are truly a sight to behold. It's almost like watching a work of art with how you move from enemy to enemy slaying all those that oppose you. And that's just close combat, I'm not even referring to when you're throwing flaming hunks of rocks at the enemy and then following it up with a few lightning bolts. My point is, I've seen you lay waste to our opponents and I believe it's more than just a job to you. Yes, you're serving the Empire and the Emperor, but you're having fun doing it. This war is FUN for you and that good, but some of us need to find fun in perhaps less extreme ways and sometimes that might involve the cheap joke here and there. Surely that doesn't warrant a death sentence? I mean all of our lives could be snuffed out anytime, what's the harm in a little humor as long as everyone is still doing their job?"
  
  The major's words hit a mark with you. You can't deny that you are having what might be considered "fun" when you're in battle. You enjoy it because its what you were meant to do. You also think back to what the Emperor said to you one time "Sometimes, you're too tightly wound son." This might be one of those times.
  
  "Alright, alright, you've made your point. Fine nobody will be flogged, but I better not hear the name Mr. Sunshine or any other cute nickname within earshot."
  "Of course sir."
  "Good. So...the troops say my battle techniques look like a work of art?"
  "No. I believe they just see you as a whirlwind of violence that they need to stay out of the way lest they get caught in the path. I'm the one who believes your battle techniques look like a work of art, but then I'm a daughter of the army, so I don't know much about real art. I just know what I like." The major says with a smile.
  "Oh. Uh, well thanks." You answer and not feeling quite sure of what else to say.
  
  With the debate about acceptable protocol out of the way Major Krozer goes on to tell you that despite significant damage most of the town's population is still alive. While you're usually known for razing entire settlements to the ground, the major is slightly less bloodthirsty than you are.
  
  "While I know you like to eliminate enemies of the Empire and stomp them into a red spot on the ground. I'd suggest that we not do that this time and use this town as a stopping spot for our supplies and reinforcements."
  "Hmm. Perhaps, but we'll have to leave a detachment here to oversee this place."
  "Well how big is that going to have to be? Not that big I should think since I really don't believe the population is going to give us any more trouble. I've seen most of them and they look thoroughly defeated."
  "True, but I believe an example should still be made just to get the point across of who is in charge. I'd say about twenty peasants should do it. A mixture of different ages and genders too just to show them that we're being serious."
  "I'd ask you if that is really necessary, but I know what your answer is going to be. Very well, I'll get some of our soldiers on it. I sometimes have concerns that we'll go too far and their hate will override their fear and cause a revolt."
  "And that's why I prefer to raze entire settlements. Nobody can revolt when they're all dead."
  "But then what's left to rule?" Krozer asks before taking her leave.
  
  She has a point, but it isn't one you've concerned yourself with during this war mainly because the Emperor has made it quite clear to you that he's actually more interested in destroying the Felkan Kingdom rather than conquering it. This is more of a war of annihilation rather than one of subjugation.
  
  Just as you're about to oversee the execution of peasants, a messenger arrives.
  
  "For your eyes only sir. Important message from the Emperor." The messenger says and hands you a sealed scroll.
  
  You take the scroll and quickly open it. It has been too long since you've last heard anything directly from the Emperor. Upon reading it, it states that you are to report directly to the location where Marik has been making all of the new weapons. Doesn't state why, just says you need to be there. You've never been to Marik's factory before, actually you've never even met Marik before despite having heard of him several times. Guess this will be your introduction.
  
  It is a little odd to be taken out of the fighting like this and also not explaining why, but the Emperor must have his reasons. You immediately tell the major.
  
  "You're leaving? Why?" she asks.
  "Can't reveal why, but I assure you that it is on the Emperor's orders." You reply.
  "Oh. Well I suppose you have to go then. This'll be a huge blow to the might of our forces with you gone."
  "You shouldn't think such things. You're soldiers of the Empire. You are more than a match for any enemy, let alone the Felkans. You're also a skilled leader and tactician that has kept our losses to a minimum. You'll do fine without me."
  "I suppose we can get by without your battle skills, but how will we ever cope without your cheerful personality around here?" she says with a serious face which then slowly turns into a smile.
  
  Normally this is the kind of thing that perturbs you, but maybe you're getting used to it.
  
  "Well I'm sure my sunny disposition has made such a lasting impression that its now within all of your hearts so that you may experience it wherever you go." You reply in a deadpan manner, surprising the major.
  "Was that a joke you just made?"
  "How the hell would I know, its not like I've ever made one before."
  "Well you're on a roll now. Hopefully you will come back so we can actually experience this less self-controlled version of yourself."
  "Anything's possible I suppose." You say and take your leave.
  
  Your only major decision now is whether or not to take the long way around back within all the pacified territory you've been pushing through during your time with Krozer's battalion or risk taking a short cut north through disputed territory that you know is still being battled over by both sides.
  
  > take the short cut
  When the Emperor gives orders, you should respond as quickly as possible. You know the conflict is hot right now, but a singular person should be able to get through and you only have to worry about one side anyway.
  
  You make your way north. You figure you're only going to have to go a few miles through disputed territory and then the rest is going to be Empire occupied land.
  
  Those few miles are a lot fiercer than you thought however. The ground has been completely battered by warfare. Besides the dead bodies, there are explosion marks all over the place, there have been attempts at building trenches and the sounds of gunpowder weapons echo everywhere.
  
  You try to sneak around the major conflict areas, but you inevitably get into a couple fights with Felkan scouts and skirmishers. At one point a stray cannonball nearly hits you, and you even have to deflect "friendly fire" in the form of arrows on several occasions.
  
  But as they say it's never the obvious thing that gets you.
  
  Wishing to get out of this crossfire as soon as possible, you sense that you're nearing friendly territory. You come across a quiet part of the combat zone and make a mad dash across a torn up field with several explosion marks. Unfortunately those explosion marks aren't the result of cannons they're the result of another Felkan weapon used extensively on this front of the war. Ground explosives or as the gnomes call them, "landmines."
  
  You soon learn why the Empire army hasn't advanced in this area when you step on one and you are blown completely apart. Your body parts and bits of burned innards fall to various areas of the explosive field.