Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Aftershock

Alea felt that her strength was exhausted. Her muscles were screaming at her to stop, but she didn't dare to. Her spear had broken at some point and she was forced to draw her sword and continue attacking with that. She didn't know how many people she had killed. She thought it didn't really matter how many she had killed, because they just keep swarming up one after another. She felt that those barbarians were akin to the sea, and she was the unfortunate piece of land they had chosen to land on. Endless, it just feels endless. 

She didn't know how long that battle lasted, but as she watched the retreating barbarians she could see that the sun had begun its descent. Looking at the field around her that was full of corpses, both complete and otherwise, and the blood. God, there's so much blood! The grass that used to stand strong and resolutely has been trampled by the chaos, and drowned in the blood of human and animal. As she turned around she was speechless when she saw that half the city wall had also suffered the same effect as the ground. Blood and viscera paint the originally neutral grey of the wall. The contrast reinforcing the atrocity that had just taken place. 

She looked around her, the regiment that used to be five thousand strong has long since fallen into disarray. Seeing the remnants of those squads that were complete only this morning, she had truly felt the fragility of human life. Only after she had managed to control her emotions did she notice that she was injured. Inspecting the arrow that had pierced her right shoulder, she still couldn't tell if the pain coming from there was because of the injury or the over exertion of its constant use. Either way she just wanted to go back and try to alleviate the emotions that this battle had forced her to feel. 

Thankfully the city gates opened and the logistics team responsible for cleaning the battlefield arrived. She watched as the survivors started walking back into the city, most of them were calm and silent. She had guessed that the regiment she was placed in was one that was filled with the most veterans, since she had only noticed a few of the large number of conscripts in the ranks before she went out. She hoped that this meant they had some sort of system in place to rotate these regiments when they had to fight. She didn't know how long she could survive if she was to be sent out everytime. 

Following the rest of the soldiers going back into the city, she walked along the streets and saw a few civilians poking their heads out. It seems that they must have known that the end of the battle had come, and were deciding whether it was safe to leave their homes. They didn't seem to be surprised by the blood covered infantry walking past them. It was probably a common sight for them here. 

However she didn't expect to see her own wife peeking her head out from a certain gate of one of the houses along the street. Raya must've felt her gaze and looked towards her. After seeing her, Raya covered her mouth, muffling a scream. 

Raya didn't think about anything and ran towards Alea. The closer she got to Alea, the more frightened she became. The most noticeable thing about the huge alpha in front of her isn't the blood that covers her from head to toe, but the arrow that has clearly penetrated her shoulder. Raya knew that Alea would have to fight, but thinking is one thing and seeing is another. She gently touched Alea's shoulder and asked with tears staining her eyes. 

"Does it hurt?" 

Raya felt stupid after saying it. Of course it would hurt. However Alea must've heard her thoughts and wanted to coax her, she replied. 

"No, it doesn't hurt. I don't feel much of anything right now. I only feel a bit tired". 

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Raya could hear the exhaustion in her voice, and she cursed her ignorance. She quickly asked Alea to go back and get her injury treated, then pay attention to rest. Saying that the house she had just come from was their home in the border and to come there on her day off. 

Alea smiled at her and said "OK I know. You hurry on back. I'll come and see you on my day off". 

Alea walked back to the barracks and went straight to the medical tent. She saw that there were hundreds of soldiers around with various levels of injury. Some with gashes and cuts, many with huge cleave wounds from the barbarian scimitars. The worst were those that had limbs directly sliced off. Their screaming and wailing echoed through the camp, but it didn't seem to affect the doctors at all. Alea's injury wasn't considered serious so after removing the arrow and disinfecting the wound, she was quickly bandaged and sent back to the barracks. 

Walking into her squads tent she noticed that there were fewer people than before. She was dazed when leaving the battlefield so she didn't have the heart to pay attention, but now the depressing atmosphere of the tent has revealed the truth. When she walked in the remaining members of the squad just looked at her and turned away. They didn't expect that instead of the recruit they'd lose so many of their original squad, but they couldn't complain about Alea. They were side by side with her today and they saw what she did. 

Perhaps Alea herself couldn't notice her actions but they did. They watched as she continuously harvested barbarian lives like she was a God of death. She was quick and efficient, the thrusts of her spear went straight through the barbarians throats. After they saw her spear break, they saw her draw her sword and what were simple thrusts before, now became more complicated combinations. The result however was the same, more barbarians that fell by her feet. Watching her actions, they were also influenced, and started fighting more ruthlessly. Unfortunately this was one of the more vicious battles, and the barbarians that attacked this time were unbelievably cruel to both the enemy and to themselves. Showing no timidity in the face of certain death. 

Alea didn't pay much attention to their thoughts. She started the arduous process of cleaning up herself and her armour. She also managed to snag another spear from one of her dead comrades. This was common practice in the border army, everything could be recycled. Her well worn armour was proof of that. 

After she finished cleaning and then sharpening her weapons. She quickly bathed and finally had a meal. During the meal the regiment commander came over and told them that their day off was tomorrow, so they could rest well and not have to go to training. 

Alea rushed back to her tent and jumped straight into bed. She needed as much as sleep as possible to ease her exhaustion. She definitely wasn't going to waste her day off in this barracks. She knew Raya must still be worried about her after seeing her off this afternoon. So she wanted to surprise Raya tomorrow, hoping that it brightens her mood. 

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